Dems Dominate Fundraising in Key Legislative Districts, GOP Sweeps in Statewide Races
by John Gage
(Photo courtesy of the Nebraska Capitol Commission)
OMAHA – Nebraska candidates for statewide constitutional offices and legislative races were required to turn in fundraising reports this week to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC). The reports filed Monday show Republican statewide incumbents have a massive lead in fundraising over Democratic challengers, while Democrats are up in key legislative races as they try to crack the GOP’s supermajority in the Unicameral.
Governor Jim Pillen ended the first quarter reporting period with over $9.3 million cash on hand (COH) – compared to just over half a million COH for his likely Democratic opponent in the general election, former State Sen. Lynne Walz.
Ahead of the release of her finance report, Walz touted a poll by her campaign showing Pillen leading 38% to 33% as well as a 50% disapproval rating. Her pollster said the results showed Pillen "in a precarious position heading into election season."
The Pillen campaign responded, saying the polling did “not accurately reflect our own internal polling or the truth.”
GOP Has Significant Statewide Money Advantage
Republican incumbents led their Democratic challengers in fundraising in every single constitutional office race. Attorney General Mike Hilger’s campaign report showed over $1 million in COH while his Democratic opponent, Jocelyn Brasher, had just over $100,000.
In the race for Secretary of State, incumbent Bob Evnen faces a Republican challenger, Scott Petersen, who raised nearly $75,000 since his announcement earlier this year and ended the period with over $50,000 COH. During the same period, Evnen raised $95,000 and reported over $175,000 COH.
On the Democratic side, two candidates are running, Lee M. Cimfel and Sarah J. Slattery. Cimfel did not file a report, which is only required by the NADC for candidates raising or spending over $5,000 in a calendar year. Slattery’s report showed she raised less than $10,000 this year and had $2,708 COH.
For state treasurer, incumbent Republican Joey Spellerberg raised $233,000 and ended the period with over $335,000 COH. His Democratic challenger Daniel Ebers did not file a report.
Auditor Mike Foley is running unopposed in his reelection race.
Democrats Blitz GOP in Battleground Districts
While Republicans lead in statewide races, Democratic and progressive candidates have out-raised Republican opponents in key legislative races in 2026. The race between Republicans and Democrats to keep or break the GOP supermajority runs through Omaha, with at least six potential competitive races in the metro area.
In Legislative District 14 — which is currently held by Speaker John Arch, who is term-limited — SuAnn Witt, the Democratic candidate in the three-way race, raised nearly $100,000 this year while ending the period with $77,000 COH.
Republican candidate for the seat, Jay Jackson, raised just over $20,000 and had just over $16,000 COH for the period. Bill Bowes, the other Republican candidate, raised over $22,000 and had just over $45,000 COH.
In Legislative District 18, another open Omaha-area legislative seat, Jess Goldoni, the Democratic candidate, leads both Republican contenders in fundraising this year. Her campaign raised over $75,000 this year and had over $80,000 COH.
Taylor Royal, a Republican who has previously run for Omaha mayor, raised under $16,000 this year and had less than $7,000 COH to close the period. Fellow Republican Derek Schwartz raised under $20,000 this year and had just over $13,000 COH to close the period.
In District 4, Omaha State Senator Brad von Gillern was out-raised this year by his progressive challenger, Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek, who raised over $74,000 to $37,000, although von Gillern retains a COH advantage of over $150,000 to just under $80,000.
Democratic incumbent of Legislative District 20 in central Omaha, State Sen. John Fredrickson, raised over $60,000 this year and had almost $200,000 COH, while his Republican challengers, Chris Anderson, raised only $15,000 and had under $10,000 COH, and Dan Witt raised just over $12,000 and had under $10,000 COH.
In Legislative District 10, another Omaha district — which is currently held by term-limited Democratic State Sen. Wendy DeBoer — Democratic candidate Cindy Johnson leads Republican Rebecca Rens, raising nearly $55,000 to Rens’s $28,000 in 2026. Johnson also holds the COH advantage with nearly $75,000 compared to just over $25,000 for her opponent.
Republican State Sen. Merv Riepe, who represents District 12, did not have his report listed on the NADC at the time of publication on Tuesday. His opponents, write-in candidate Democrat Robin Richards, raised over $62,000 and had just under $30,000 COH; Democrat Christy Knorr raised under $2,500 and is over $1,300 in the negative COH; and Democrat Thomas Kastrup raised over $40,000 and had over $21,000 COH.
In a potential surprise from a usually right-leaning rural district, Shaylene Smith, an independent progressive candidate for District 32, out-raised the Republican candidate Mark Schoenrock $57,000 to $30,000 and had nearly $85,000 COH compared to Schoenrock’s $36,000.
Democrats Looking to Break Supermajority
Nebraska Democrats enter the 2026 cycle looking to break the Republican supermajority in the Legislature. With 33 Republican seats, Democrats only need to pick up one legislative seat in order to block Republican priorities in the Unicameral.
On Monday at an event in Omaha, Governor Jim Pillen sounded the alarm to Republican supporters, telling them they needed to “get in the game” to defeat Democratic candidates in the 2026 election.
“Democrats need government, they love government, and they're really good at it. And us conservatives, us conservatives hate government. We're not very good at it, and we love going out and making money,” Pillen said. “We can't play politics, we've got to provide leadership, and we conservatives have got to get in the game and understand we gotta play a little ball every day.”
John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.
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Don't forget the "5Ws" of journalism--especially the why. Why are Nebraskans supporting Democrats? Theirs is the party of woke crazies who throw tampons from the senate balcony. Former KGB propagandanist Yuri Bezmenov called today's Democrats America's third generation of "useful idiots." It'll take a lot of deprogramming of our children to return the U.S. to being a civilized nation again.