# Lindstrom Eyes Potential Nonpartisan Run for Nebraska Governor  
**Published:** 2026-05-22T09:00:59.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/lindstrom-explains-potential-bid-for-nebraska-governor-dissatisfaction-with-states-direction/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/lindstrom-eyes-potential-nonpartisan-run-for-nebraska-governor

Former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom is seriously considering a [nonpartisan bid for Nebraska governor](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/lindstrom-explains-potential-bid-for-nebraska-governor-dissatisfaction-with-states-direction/), expressing dissatisfaction with the state's direction under Gov. Jim Pillen while emphasizing he has no interest in playing "spoiler" in the 2026 election.

Lindstrom, an Omaha financial adviser who [dropped out of a congressional race in January citing political divisiveness](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/30/former-state-sen-brett-lindstrom-out-of-nebraskas-2nd-district-gop-race/), said he reached out to Democratic candidate Lynne Walz weeks ago to give her advance notice if petitions began circulating for a gubernatorial campaign. The nonpartisan approach would allow him to appear alongside Pillen, Walz and Legal Marijuana NOW nominee Rick Beard on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Lindstrom's grievances with Pillen extend beyond policy disagreements. He criticized the governor's use of inflammatory language, including the term "Cornhusker Clink" for the state-federal migrant detention center in McCook and repeated use of "libtard" when describing political opponents. Lindstrom said such language undermines efforts to build transparency and trust with voters, calling the approach counterproductive to governance.

"If you're asking for people to trust you and you're trying to bring transparency, what good is it if you're calling somebody a name?" Lindstrom said. "You're already done. You're not gonna do it."

Lindstrom also expressed concerns about Pillen's handling of property taxes, the state budget and economic development initiatives. He said Nebraska has been put "behind the eight ball" and lacks a clear vision for growth and opportunity.

A former swing vote on controversial legislation during his eight years in the Legislature, Lindstrom was part of a group of moderate Republicans known as the "Reasonables." [He finished third in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-primary-nebraska-governor/), losing to Pillen.

To run as a nonpartisan candidate, Lindstrom must collect at least 4,000 signatures by Aug. 3, with roughly 750 signatures required from registered voters in each of Nebraska's three congressional districts. He said he hasn't yet begun petition collection and emphasized that gathering signatures doesn't guarantee he will actually run. Pillen is running for reelection with Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, while Walz and Beard would need to select running mates if their campaigns advance.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/lindstrom-explains-potential-bid-for-nebraska-governor-dissatisfaction-with-states-direction/)
- [Nebraska Examiner reporting on Lindstrom's departure from the 2nd Congressional District race](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/30/former-state-sen-brett-lindstrom-out-of-nebraskas-2nd-district-gop-race/)
- [Nebraska Examiner voter guide on the 2026 gubernatorial primary results](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-primary-nebraska-governor/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/lindstrom-explains-potential-bid-for-nebraska-governor-dissatisfaction-with-states-direction/.