BREAKING: Lindstrom Announces Independent Bid for Governor

by John Gage

(Picture credit Matt Johnson)

OMAHA – Former State Senator Brett Lindstrom announced on Monday that he would be taking on incumbent Republican Governor Jim Pillen and former Democratic State Senator Lynne Walz.

“After much encouragement and consideration, I have decided to enter the race for Nebraska Governor,” Lindstrom told The Plains Sentinel on Monday. “Our state is facing a pivotal moment in terms of how we manage our budget and create opportunities for future generations and Nebraskans deserve another choice. Our immediate focus will be collecting the required signatures to be on the ballot, and once that is complete, we look forward to joining the discussion about the future of our great state.”

The Secretary of State’s office confirmed that Lindstrom “filed sample petition pages for a nonpartisan run for governor.”

Lindstrom previously spoke with The Plains Sentinel about his motivation for seeking the office.

“If we create stability in Nebraska, it will create opportunity,” he said. “My job is to reestablish transparency and trust in that. And then creating these policies—tax code, property tax, infrastructure, energy, housing, connectivity, workforce—it’s about 15 different categories, but all through the lens of stability and opportunity.”

Lindstrom’s announcement means he set for a rematch with Pillen where he faced him in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary.

Lindstrom Frustrated With Partisan Politics

Sources close to Lindstrom’s campaign had told The Plains Sentinel in May that he was working on a “manifesto” for his potential run. Its primary goal is to serve as an antidote to the current dysfunctional chaos in a Legislature paralyzed by partisan gridlock.

Earlier this spring, Lindstrom announced he was leaving the Republican party to be registered as an Independent, saying he did not want to participate in the “philosophy” of where the Republican party is right now.

“We are about as polarized of a position politically as we’ve been in some time, at least in my experience, and I just didn’t feel comfortable participating in that type of philosophy,” he said, explaining his decision. “The transition for me going from Republican to nonpartisan, it was already what I was feeling, and then it was affirmed by all the conversations I was having and coffees with people that really sat all across the political spectrum.”

Lindstrom’s change in party registration followed a short bid in the GOP primary for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District seat where he faced off against Omaha Councilman Brinker Harding.

What’s Next?

An Independent run will require 4,000 signatures (750 across three districts) to get his name on the ballot—a task sources close to Lindstrom suggest would be easy, even this late in the game.

Last month, The Plains Sentinel asked Walz if she had heard from Lindstrom after there was speculation that the pair might form a joint ticket. Walz said she had not spoken to Lindstrom.

The Pillen campaign responded to the news Monday by saying “there’s no path forward for a career politician like Lindstrom,” while the Walz campaign called Lindstrom a “lifelong conservative Republican.”

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.

— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.