NEBRASKA
      Nov. 8, 2022 Governor                                      

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+Jim Pillen/Joe Kelly (R)
 		398,334
 		59.22%
Carol Blood/Al Davis (D)
 		242,006
 		35.98%
Scott Zimmerman/Jason Blumenthal (L)
 		26,455
 		3.93%
write-ins
 		5,798
 		0.86%

672,593
Registered voters: 1,242,930.  Total votes cast: 682,716.
Plurality: 156,328 votes (23.24 percentage points).
 NE Secretary of State


Notes:  Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) was term-limited.  Jim Pillen (R), a University of Nebraska Regent and owner of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics, easily defeated state Sen. Carol Blood (D-Bellevue) and businessman Scott Zimmerman (L) (>).  Pillen declined to participate in any debates.

May 10 Primaries
Nine Republicans were on the May 10 primary ballot.  Leading the field were Charles W. Herbster, an agribusiness owner from Falls City, Pillen, and state Sen. Brett Lindstrom. 

Herbster runs six companies operating in five states, including Conklin Co. and Herbster Angus Farms.  He announced his candidacy at a rally on Apr. 26, 2021, joined by former state Sen. Theresa Thibodeau as his running mate.  Thibodeau withdrew in July and later launched her own campaign.  On Oct. 26, former President Trump endorsed Herbster.  In April 14, 2022 Nebraska Examiner published allegations of groping against Herbster (>).  Trump nonetheless rallied with him in Greenwood on May 1 (initially scheduled for Apr. 29 but delayed by bad weather) (>).  Herbster largely self-funded his campaign, spending more than $11.5 million on the effort.

Pillen announced his candidacy on  Apr. 7, 2021 (>).  Gov. Ricketts endorsed him on Jan. 18, 2022.  He announced former U.S. Attorney Joe Kelly as his running mate on Apr. 5, 2022 (>).
 
State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, who works as a financial advisor, announced his candidacy on July 15, 2021 and announced former state Director of Economic Development as his running mate on Feb. 10.

Pillen refused to participate in primary debates.  Herbster, Lindstrom, Breland Ridenour, and Thibodeau debated on Mar. 24 (>) and Herbster, Lindstrom and Thibodeau debated on Apr. 6 (>) and a final time on Apr. 25 (>). 

When the primary results were tallied, Pillen finished first with 33.9% followed by Herbster (29.9%) and Lindstrom (26.10%).  The outcome was seen as a rebuff to Trump.  In addition to the groping allegations, analysis by Nebraska Examiner's Aaron Sanderford pointed to Herbster's relatively limited retail campaigning and national messaging as factors in his defeat.

 Blood announced her candidacy on Sept. 13, 2021 (>) and announced former state Sen. Al Davis as her running mate on Mar. 27.  She won the May 10 primary with 88.8% of the vote.


Campaign Managers:
Jim Pillen:  Kenny Zoeller
(Apr. 2021)  Chief government performance officer for the State of Nebraska, Jan. 2019-Apr. 2021.  Executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, Jan. 2017-Jan. 2019.  Policy advisor to Gov. Pete Ricketts, Dec. 2015-Jan. 2017.  Legislative aide to Sen. Mark Kolterman, Jan,-Dec. 2015.  CD-1 field director on Pete Ricketts for Governor, Jan,. 2014-Jan. 2015.  Bachelor's degree in history from Concordia University, Nebraska, 2013.
 
Carol Blood: As of June 2022, Sen. Blood: is managing the campaign; senior staffer is statewide field director Brian Reitz.
 


See also (...a lot of Aaron Sanderford!):
Aaron Sanderford.  "GOP candidadate Pillen won't debate Democrat Blood in governor's race."  Nebraska Examiner, Aug. 17, 2022.

Aaron Sanderford.  "Where Herbster stumbled and how Pillen won Nebraska's GOP gubernatorial primary."  Nebraska Examiner, May 13, 2022.

Aaron Sanderford.  "GOP state senator, seven other women say Charles Herbster groped them; he denies allegations."  Nebraska Examiner, Apr. 14, 2022.

Aaron Sanderford.  "Ex-Running Mate, Former Staffers Call Herbster Unfit To Be Governor."  Omaha Daily Record, Mar. 30, 2022.

Waverle Monroe.  "'Chaotic and disorganized': Theresa Thibodeau, governor candidate describes why she left Herbster campaign."  KETV7, Nov. 17, 2021

Alex Isenstadt.  "Trump, the billionaire family and the bull semen baron who divides them."  Politico, Nov. 2, 2021.

Aaron Sanderford and Aaron Hegarty.  "Nebraska's Charles Herbster paid property taxes late nearly 600 times."  KMTV3, June 3, 2021.






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