Nebraska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022
← 2018
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Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska |
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Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: February 15, 2022/March 1, 2022 |
Primary: May 10, 2022 General: November 8, 2022 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Pete Ricketts (Republican) Lt. Gov. Mike Foley (Republican) |
How to vote |
Poll times: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Central time zone); 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Mountain time zone) Voting in Nebraska |
Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican |
Ballotpedia analysis |
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2022 Impact of term limits in 2022 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022 |
Nebraska executive elections |
Governor Lieutenant Governor |
Nebraska held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 8, 2022. The primary was scheduled for May 10, 2022. The filing deadline for an incumbent was February 15, 2022. The filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates was March 1, 2022.
Jim Pillen won election in the general election for Governor of Nebraska.
Joe Kelly won election in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska.
Pete Ricketts (R) was not able to run for re-election due to term limits. This was one of 36 gubernatorial elections that took place place in 2022. The governor serves as a state's top executive official and is the only executive office that is elected in all 50 states. At the time of the 2022 elections, there were 28 Republican governors and 22 Democratic governors. Click here for a map with links to our coverage of all 50 states' responses to the pandemic and here for an overview of all 36 gubernatorial elections that took place in 2022.
Heading into the 2022 elections, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments where neither party held trifecta control. There were 23 Republican triplexes, 18 Democratic triplexes, and nine divided governments where neither party held triplex control.
A state government trifecta refers to a situation where one party controls a state's governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Nebraska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022 (May 10 Democratic primary)
- Nebraska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022 (May 10 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Governor
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 | |
![]() | Dave Wright (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 5,798 |
Total votes: 672,593 | ||||
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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 |
![]() | Roy Harris | 11.3 | 11,267 |
Total votes: 100,126 | ||||
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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 | |
![]() | Donna Nicole Carpenter | 0.6 | 1,536 | |
![]() | Lela McNinch ![]() | 0.4 | 1,192 | |
![]() | Troy Wentz | 0.3 | 708 |
Total votes: 270,271 | ||||
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If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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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 |
Total votes: 1,595 | ||||
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If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Lieutenant Governor
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska
Joe Kelly defeated Al Davis and Jason Blumenthal in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Joe Kelly (R) | 59.2 | 398,334 | |
Al Davis (D) | 36.0 | 242,006 | ||
Jason Blumenthal (L) | 3.9 | 26,455 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 5,798 |
Total votes: 672,593 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Nebraska
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Election competitiveness
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
Race ratings: Nebraska gubernatorial election, 2022 | |||||||||
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Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
November 8, 2022 | November 1, 2022 | October 25, 2022 | October 18, 2022 | ||||||
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. |
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Nebraska in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Nebraska, click here.
Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2022 | |||||||
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State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source | Notes |
Nebraska | Governor | Ballot-qualified party | K.A. | $1,050.00 | 2/15/2022 | Source | |
Nebraska | Governor | Unaffiliated | 4,000 | $1,050.00 | 9/1/2022 | Source |
Past elections
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Presidential elections
Cook PVI by congressional district
Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Nebraska, 2022 | |||
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District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
Nebraska's 1st | Mike Flood | ![]() |
R+9 |
Nebraska's 2nd | Don Bacon | ![]() |
Even |
Nebraska's 3rd | Adrian Smith | ![]() |
R+29 |
2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines
2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Nebraska[5] | ||||
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District | Joe Biden ![]() |
Donald Trump ![]() | ||
Nebraska's 1st | 43.3% | 54.3% | ||
Nebraska's 2nd | 52.2% | 45.8% | ||
Nebraska's 3rd | 23.1% | 74.9% |
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
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Democratic | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
Republican | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
New Republican | D | D | R |
Following the 2020 presidential election, 53.4% of Nebraskans lived in one of the state's 90 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 46.2% lived in one of two Trending Democratic counties: Douglas and Lancaster. Overall, Nebraska was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Nebraska following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
Nebraska county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
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Solid Republican | 90 | 53.4% | |||||
Trending Democratic | 2 | 46.2% | |||||
Trending Republican | 1 | 0.3% | |||||
Total voted Democratic | 2 | 46.2% | |||||
Total voted Republican | 91 | 53.8% |
Historical voting trends
Nebraska presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 6 Democratic wins
- 25 Republican wins
Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
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Winning Party | R | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Statewide elections
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Nebraska.
U.S. Senate election results in Nebraska | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2020 | 62.7%![]() |
24.4%![]() |
2018 | 57.7%![]() |
38.6%![]() |
2014 | 64.4%![]() |
31.5%![]() |
2012 | 57.8%![]() |
42.2%![]() |
2008 | 57.5%![]() |
40.1%![]() |
Average | 60.0 | 35.4 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Nebraska
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Nebraska.
Gubernatorial election results in Nebraska | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2018 | 59.0%![]() |
41.0%![]() |
2014 | 57.2%![]() |
39.2%![]() |
2010 | 73.9%![]() |
26.1%![]() |
2006 | 73.4%![]() |
24.5%![]() |
2002 | 68.7%![]() |
27.5%![]() |
Average | 66.4 | 31.7 |
State partisanship
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Nebraska's congressional delegation as of November 2022.
Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Nebraska, November 2022 | |||
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Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Republican | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 3 | 5 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Nebraska's top four state executive offices as of November 2022.
State executive officials in Nebraska, November 2022 | |
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Office | Officeholder |
Governor | ![]() |
Lieutenant Governor | ![]() |
Secretary of State | ![]() |
Attorney General | ![]() |
State legislature
The table below highlights the partisan composition of the Nebraska State Senate as of November 2022.
Nebraska State Senate
Party | As of November 2022 | |
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Democratic Party | 17 | |
Republican Party | 32 | |
Independent | 0 | |
Vacancies | 0 | |
Total | 49 |
Trifecta control
As of November 2022, Nebraska was a Republican trifecta, with a majority in the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.
Nebraska Party Control: 1992-2022
Seven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Demographics
The table below details demographic data in Nebraska and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.
Demographic Data for Nebraska | ||
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Nebraska | Vereinigte Staaten | |
Population | 1,961,504 | 331,449,281 |
Land area (sq mi) | 76,817 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White | 85.3% | 70.4% |
Black/African American | 4.8% | 12.6% |
Asian | 2.5% | 5.6% |
Native American | 0.9% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more | 3.9% | 5.2% |
Hispanic/Latino | 11.2% | 18.2% |
Bildung | ||
High school graduation rate | 91.6% | 88.5% |
College graduation rate | 32.5% | 32.9% |
Income | ||
Median household income | $63,015 | $64,994 |
Persons below poverty level | 10.4% | 12.8% |
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
See also
Nebraska | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Governor of Nebraska official website
- Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska official website
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed September 9, 2022
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