Lindstrom Gubernatorial Launch Leaves More Questions Than Answers
by John Gage
(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
Former State Senator Brett Lindstrom’s gubernatorial launch this week has left many political observers asking questions, while partisans on both sides have already begun taking shots at his campaign.
Lindstrom’s announcement got off to a rocky start following an apparent error with his campaign logo that cut off the southeast part of the state, making some speculate it was an AI error and others seeing it as an omen for a potentially ill-fated campaign. The Lindstrom campaign quickly and quietly fixed the logo, but not before criticism came pouring in.
“I guess those of us who live in the southeastern part of Nebraska don’t matter to Brett Lindstrom,” Charles Herbster, a former gubernatorial primary opponent of Lindstrom’s, said.
Progressive State Senator Megan Hunt weighed in, calling the logo “disqualifying.”
Questions Linger
Lindstrom, who recently changed party affiliation from Republican to Independent, announced he was joining the race on Monday to take on incumbent Republican Governor Jim Pillen and Democratic challenger Lynne Walz, saying the “state is facing a pivotal moment in terms of how we manage our budget and create opportunities for future generations.”
He said his first priority is gathering signatures as the deadline to turn in signatures looms with less than 3 weeks to go. Despite a tight deadline, it’s unclear what infrastructure Lindstrom has built up since he first teased a potential announcement earlier this spring.
To qualify for the ballot, Lindstrom will need to gather “at least four thousand, and at least seven hundred fifty signatures shall be obtained in each congressional district in the state,” according to Nebraska law. The candidate has previously signaled he did not believe that would be difficult to do, even on a short timeline.
On Wednesday, The Plains Sentinel cased popular petitioning spots throughout the Omaha-metro and did not see anyone actively working a petition on behalf of the candidate. The candidate’s website, which currently consists of a logo and a “coming soon” message, does not contain any information on where to sign his petition.
The Plains Sentinel reached out directly to Lindstrom following his announcement to ask if he had assembled a campaign team, and received no response. His press release sent out on social media contained no campaign contact.
Multiple top campaign officials, who worked for his previous gubernatorial and short-lived congressional run, told The Plains Sentinel they were not part of his latest effort.
Lindstrom could face other potential headwinds in his run. Independent candidates generally do not have access to the same infrastructure as party candidates unless they have been endorsed or have an arrangement to get support from a party, as Dan Osborn has done with his Independent run for Senate.
This means Lindstrom will not have access to partisan platforms like ActBlue, which allows candidates to raise small-dollar donations, or voter contact tools, like I-360.
Political observers have also raised questions about Lindstrom’s lieutenant governor pick, Michael Picard — an Omaha club volleyball coach, wondering whether an all-Omaha ticket can get support across the state.
Lindstrom, during his 2022 run, picked former Director of Economic Development Dave Rippe, a Hastings resident, to be his running mate in an attempt to appeal to a larger cross-section of Nebraska.
Partisan Backlash
Lindstrom faced immediate partisan backlash following his Monday announcement. The Pillen campaign called him a “career politician,” while the campaign for Democratic challenger Lynne Walz said he was a “lifelong conservative Republican.”
Both the Nebraska Republican and Democratic party leaders also issued statements. Democratic Chair Jane Kleeb said, “Brett Lindstrom lost to Jim Pillen in 2022, and he will lose to Lynne Walz in 2026.”
Republican Party Chair Mary Jane Truemper said Lindstrom “can’t make up his mind” and pointed to his change in party affiliation as well as his abandoned primary run for Congress earlier this year.
— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.
I'm glad Brett left the Republican party and became an Independent. I don't think I'd want to be represented by a Nebraskan who had trouble identifying its boundaries.