Nebraska state legislative special elections, 2026

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As of January, one special election has been called to fill a vacant seat in the Nebraska State Senate.

Click here to read more about the special elections.

Senate special elections called:

• District 41: November 3

How vacancies are filled in Nebraska

If there is a vacancy in the Nebraska State Legislature, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement. If the vacancy occurs after May 1 of the official's second year in office, the replacement must serve the remainder of the unexpired term. If the vacancy happens before that date, the replacement serves the remainder of the unfilled term before the next general election when a new representative is elected.

See sources: Nebraska Rev. Stat. §32-566

About the legislature

The Nebraska State Senate forms the legislative branch of the Nebraska state government and works alongside the governor of Nebraska to create laws and establish a state budget. It is unique in that it is the only state legislature in the country that is unicameral. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Nebraska State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the most recent general elections prior to 2026. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).

Nebraska State Senate
Party		As of November 5, 2024	After November 6, 2024
	Democratic Party	15	14
	Republican Party	33	33
	Nonpartisan	1	2
Total		49	49

Special elections

Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:

November 3, 2026

Nebraska State Senate District 41

See also: Nebraska state legislative special elections, 2026 A special election for Nebraska State Senate District 41 has been called for November 3, 2026. A primary is scheduled to take place on May 12, 2026. The candidate filing deadline for incumbents is February 17, 2026. The candidate filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates is March 2, 2026. The seat became vacant after Daniel McKeon (R) resigned following a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace. Gov. Jim Pillen (R) appointed Fred Meyer (R) to the seat on January 14, 2026, to replace McKeon. There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2026

As of January 2026, 49 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2026 in 20 states. Between 2011 and 2024, an average of 70 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2026 special elections

In 2026, special elections for state legislative positions are being held for the following reasons:

• 27 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
• 18 due to resignation
• 4 due to the death of the incumbent

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections is as follows:

• 28 Democratic seats
• 21 Republican seats

As of January 22nd, 2026, Republicans controlled 55.12% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 43.83%. Republicans held a majority in 57 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 39 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. One chamber (Minnesota House of Representatives) was split evenly between both parties.

Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats
Legislative chamber			Other	Vacant
State senates	836	1,119	6	12
State houses	2,401	2,952	20	40
Total:	3,237	4,071	26	52

The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2026. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that have been held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections (2026)
Party		As of Special Election	After Special Election
	Democratic Party	28	7
	Republican Party	21	3
	Independent	0	0
Total		49	10

Flipped seats

In 2026, as of January, no seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.

See also

• State legislative special elections, 2026
• State legislative special elections, 2025
• State legislative special elections, 2024
• State legislative special elections, 2023
• Nebraska State Senate

Footnotes

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2026

State legislative elections (2026) • State legislative special elections (2026) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2026 Session Dates

2025

State legislative elections (2025) • State legislative special elections (2025) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2025 Session Dates

Historical elections

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Features of state legislatures

How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run law • State legislature candidate requirements by state • Official names of state legislatures • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections

State senates

Length of terms of state senators • State senators • Partisan composition of state senates • State senators sorted by year first elected

State houses

Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected

Leadership positions

President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House

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