Jim Pillen

Jim Pillen

Republican Party

Candidate, Governor of Nebraska

Governor of Nebraska

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor: Pete Ricketts (R)

Prior offices:

University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 3

Years in office: 2013 - 2023

Successor: Jim Scheer (Nonpartisan)

Compensation

Base salary

$105,000

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Lakeview High School, 1974

Bachelor's

University of Nebraska, 1979

Other

Kansas State University, 1983

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, NE

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official X

Official YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Jim Pillen (Republican Party) is the Governor of Nebraska. He assumed office on January 5, 2023. His current term ends on January 7, 2027.

Pillen (Republican Party) is running for re-election for Governor of Nebraska. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

On May 29, 2025, Pillen announced he would seek re-election in 2026. Pillen said he would run on a joint ticket with Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly (R).

Pillen received a bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska in 1979 and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University in 1983. He began his career as a veterinarian. In 1993, Pillen founded Pillen Family Farms, an agribusiness company focused on pig farming.

Pillen was first elected to political office in 2012 when he won the election to represent District 3 on the Nebraska Board of Regents, which oversees the University of Nebraska. In 2018, he ran unopposed and was re-elected to the position.

Pillen is the 41st governor of Nebraska. He won the 2022 Republican primary for the nomination with 33.9% of the vote, followed by Charles Herbster (R) with 29.9%, and Brett Lindstrom (R) with 26.1%. Pillen was endorsed by term-limited incumbent Governor Pete Ricketts (R) in the primary. Pillen went on to win the general election with 59.2% of the vote. In a campaign ad, Pillen said, "Nebraska is where neighbors take care of each other, not government. That's the Nebraska way. It's where honesty is more important than being politically correct. It's where hard work and risk-taking are rewarded, not punished. It's where people think for themselves and problem-solve through the unthinkable."

At the time of his election, Nebraska had a Republican trifecta, and Republican-affiliated officeholders held a supermajority in the state legislature. The Nebraska State Senate, the state's unicameral legislature, is formally nonpartisan.

In his December 2024 statement, Pillen outlined his policy goals for the 2025 legislative session. Those priorities included addressing a projected $500 million budget shortfall, normalizing the process by which the state awards aid to school districts, changing the method by which the state awards its electoral votes, and banning lab-grown meat.

Biography

Pillen was born in Columbus, Nebraska. Pillen graduated from Lakeview High School in 1974. He earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska in 1979 and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University in 1983. Pillen's career experience includes founding and owning Pillen Family Farms, Inc., and working as the managing partner of DNA Genetics.

Political career

Below is a list of offices within Ballotpedia’s scope. Offices outside of that scope will not be listed. If an update is needed and the office is within our scope, please contact us.

Pillen's political career includes the following offices:

• 2023-present: Governor of Nebraska
• 2013-2023: University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 3

Elections

2026

See also: Nebraska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Governor of Nebraska

Incumbent Jim Pillen (R) is running in the general election for Governor of Nebraska on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Jim Pillen (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2022

See also: Nebraska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Nebraska

Jim Pillen defeated Carol Blood, Scott Zimmerman, Robert Borer, and Dave Wright in the general election for Governor of Nebraska on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Pillen (R)	59.2	398,334
		Carol Blood (D)	36.0	242,006
		Scott Zimmerman (L)	3.9	26,455
		Robert Borer (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Dave Wright (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	5,798

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 672,593
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Nebraska

Carol Blood defeated Roy Harris in the Democratic primary for Governor of Nebraska on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol Blood	88.7	88,859
	Submit photo	Roy Harris	11.3	11,267

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 100,126
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Nebraska

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Nebraska on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Pillen	33.9	91,555
		Charles Herbster	29.9	80,771
		Brett Lindstrom	26.1	70,554
		Theresa Thibodeau	6.1	16,432
		Breland Ridenour	1.7	4,685
		Michael Connely	1.1	2,838
	Submit photo	Donna Nicole Carpenter	0.6	1,536
		Lela McNinch	0.4	1,192
	Submit photo	Troy Wentz	0.3	708

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 270,271
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Governor of Nebraska

Scott Zimmerman advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of Nebraska on May 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Zimmerman	100.0	1,595

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,595
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Nebraska State Board of Regents election, 2018

General election

General election for University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 3

Incumbent Jim Pillen won election in the general election for University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Pillen (Nonpartisan)	100.0	55,440

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 55,440 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 3

Incumbent Jim Pillen advanced from the primary for University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 3 on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim Pillen (Nonpartisan)	100.0	29,077

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 29,077
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

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2022

Jim Pillen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Jim Pillen campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Governor of Nebraska	Won general	$11,518,612	$10,935,555
Grand total			$11,518,612	$10,935,555
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Jim Pillen

Measure	Position	Outcome
Nebraska Education Scholarships Tax Credit Referendum (2024)  source	Support	Not on the ballot
Nebraska Initiative 434, Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment (2024)  source	Support	Approved
Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)  source	Oppose	Defeated
Nebraska Referendum 435, Private Education Scholarship Program Referendum (2024)  source	Support	Defeated

Noteworthy events

Letter calling for change to Nebraska's electoral vote allocation method (2024)

See also: Presidential election in Nebraska, 2024

Heading into the 2024 presidential election, several noteworthy officeholders expressed support for changing Nebraska's method of electoral vote allocation to a winner-take-all system. In 2024, Nebraska allocated two of its electoral votes based on the statewide presidential election results, and the other three based on election results in each congressional district. Nebraska was one of two states, along with Maine, that did not allocate its electoral votes with a winner-take-all system.

On September 18, 2024, U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and U.S. Reps. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) signed a letter calling on Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen (R) and Nebraska State Senate Speaker John Arch (R) to change Nebraska's electoral vote allocation system to winner-take-all. The letter said, "Senators and Governors are elected by the state as a whole because they represent all of the people of Nebraska equally, and the state should speak with a united voice in presidential elections as well." Both Gov. Pillen and Senate Speaker Arch had previously expressed support for such legislation. As of September 20, 2024, Pillen had not called the legislature into a special session to address the proposal.

On September 23, 2024, Nebraska State Sen. Mike McDonnell (R), whose support was needed to pass the bill, announced he would not support it. In a statement, McDonnell said, "I have taken time to listen carefully to Nebraskans and national leaders on both sides of the issue. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change."

The Nebraska State Legislature proposed a bill that sought to change the state's method of allocating electoral votes to a winner-take-all system earlier in the year. The bill did not pass in the state legislature during the 2024 regular session, failing to clear a procedural vote in April 2024. Eight legislators voted in favor of introducing the legislation.

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Pete Ricketts (R)	Governor of Nebraska 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 3 2013-2023	Succeeded by Jim Scheer

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