Lindstrom Ready to Launch Next Phase of His Gubernatorial Campaign

by Matt Johnson

(Picture credit Matt Johnson)

Brett Lindstrom, a former Republican candidate for governor and Congress, is preparing to add his name to the ballot this fall as a nonpartisan candidate for governor. The former two-term state senator has been operating a largely under-the-radar signature-gathering campaign since the soft launch of his campaign earlier this month, with petitioners working public venues such as the DMV office, the Sarpy County Fair, and outside public libraries.

“The petition plan and process has gone very well, and we’ll be in good shape to file Monday,” Lindstrom said, speaking to The Plains Sentinel. “And I’m just kind of rounding up the last pieces of it.”

Lindstrom’s signature campaign has been notably quiet, with no public notices of where to sign until this past weekend, sparking some speculation by political observers that he might not be collecting enough signatures to make the ballot.

On Friday, Lindstrom shared on his personal Facebook page two locations on Saturday and Sunday where people could sign the petition for his gubernatorial bid—at the La Vista Public Library and the Millard Branch of the Omaha Public Library. It was at the latter location where Lindstrom himself set up a table to gather signatures.

Four More Years?

As a third-party candidate, Lindstrom has been accused of being a “spoiler” candidate in the race for governor, which he disputes.

“I get accused from both sides of being a spoiler or upsetting one side or the other, and I suppose that’s a good place to be, because the intent of this is not to do that, and I’ve been very transparent with everybody since the beginning of what this is.”

Lindstrom’s independent campaign for governor stemmed from discussions over 150 “coffees and breakfasts” with others about Nebraska’s current political quagmire and fiscal issues that he says are not being addressed by incumbent Governor Jim Pillen.

“I’ve talked to current state senators and former state senators, people who were engaged in the budget process,” Lindstrom said. “As I look at where we currently are and where we’re going, I guess someone’s gonna have to explain to me, especially on the Republican side, what has Pillen done to earn four more years?”

Chief among Lindstrom’s criticisms of Pillen is the state budget, with a large and increasing budget deficit that Lindstrom does not see any progress toward closing.

“A couple years ago, when I was gone, we left the state in very good shape with close to $2 billion in surplus, and he made some decisions that have reversed what we did in the sense that the outflows are higher than the inflows,” Lindstrom said. “I know he always says ‘run Nebraska like a business.’ Well, Nebraska is a not-for-profit institution, and if you’re running a business like he has where inflows are below outflows, you’re going to be out of business real quick.”

Lindstrom was also highly critical of Pillen’s proposal to increase state revenue by removing sales tax exemptions, a move he said would be regressive by making basic services like haircuts and auto repair more expensive and could drive other businesses out of the state.

“They were going to look at taxing financial services, legal services, tax services,” Lindstrom said. “Well, you know, certain companies can operate anywhere, can domicile anywhere. Why would any of those companies stay in Nebraska?”

Lindstrom does not see Pillen’s current trajectory changing either by Election Day or through the next four years.

“I think Pillen has lost trust with the vast majority, or at least a simple majority of Republicans,” Lindstrom said. “And what I’m hearing, he’s going to double down, or I guess now it’d be like tripling down, on the same things he’s always done. He’s going to try to reinvent himself, which he’s tried the last month or so, and I think people know exactly who he is and where it’s going. And my fear is that if he gets elected again, then Nebraska is going to be in really tough shape.”

Political Gridlock and the Nebraska Doctrine

Lindstrom also believes the Republican supermajority is going to break in the midterm elections, which will likely cause political gridlock on many issues, regardless of which party controls the governor’s office.

“My guess is that Republicans lose three to four seats in the legislature, which now creates a filibuster situation that neither one could get anything done,” Lindstrom said. “For four years, if Lynne [Walz] is in there, there’s going to be 29 to 30 Republicans. And not all of them—I mean, there’s people that want to move things forward—but there’s going to be an element that wants to just undermine anything that she would want to do.”

Lindstrom has now put forth his own agenda for the state, a document he refers to as the “Nebraska Doctrine.” The document has been published online and serves as a framework both for a campaign platform and what Lindstrom says is a solution to Nebraska’s current political stagnation.

The document, comprising just over 2,800 words, offers policy proposals aiming to reform property taxes, expand the state’s workforce, and leverage Nebraska’s unique economic advantages. While Lindstrom hopes the Doctrine will serve as a viable campaign platform, his ultimate goal is to put ideas on the table rather than simply rally voters behind a candidate.

“I think people are very frustrated with where politics are at these days, and the polarization, as am I,” Lindstrom said. “And I’m more of a traditionalist in the sense that I believe in separation of powers. I believe in voting for and/or supporting ideas rather than just people, and I feel like we’ve lost a little bit of that.”

On Monday afternoon, the Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Lindstrom turned in signatures for his gubernatorial bid. The Lindstrom campaign estimates it turned in over 5,700 signatures.

— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.