# Primary voters narrow field in 11 crowded Nebraska legislative races  
**Published:** 2026-05-13T08:00:11.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/nebraska-legislative-race-voters-narrow-candidates-in-11-crowded-primaries/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/primary-voters-narrow-field-in-11-crowded-nebraska-legislative-races

Primary voters in Nebraska narrowed the field in 11 legislative races on Tuesday, with two incumbent Republican state senators trailing their opponents as the state heads toward November elections that could reshape the [officially nonpartisan Legislature](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/nebraska-legislative-race-voters-narrow-candidates-in-11-crowded-primaries/).

State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area faces a rematch with Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek of Omaha in Legislative District 4 after trailing in Tuesday's unofficial results. Maxwell-Ostdiek, a progressive nonpartisan, led with 52% of the vote compared to von Gillern's 48%, reversing their positions from 2022 when von Gillern won by 802 votes. The race has become the most expensive legislative contest in state history, with the two candidates raising nearly $386,000 by late April.

State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue also trailed in Legislative District 36, where Democrat Darin Tompkins of Papillion led with 53% to Holdcroft's 47%. Holdcroft won his 2022 race with 56% of the vote and a margin of 1,744 votes.

State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a Republican who [has been at the center of multiple contentious bills](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/nebraska-legislative-races-to-watch-for-2026-primary-as-fundraising-exceeds-4-1-million/) since returning to the Legislature in 2023, led his primary in Legislative District 12 with 38%. However, Riepe faced three Democratic opponents, with Democrat Christy Knorr of Omaha leading the Democratic field with 34% and Democrat Thomas Kastrup with 23%.

The race results reflect broader dynamics heading into November, when legislative fundraising has already exceeded $4.1 million. Of 25 total legislative races this year, 11 had three or more primary candidates. By early Wednesday, the top two candidates in nearly all crowded races held strong leads.

A competitive U.S. House primary in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District drove strong turnout statewide. Republicans currently control 33 of the Legislature's 49 seats, with Democrats holding 15 and one progressive nonpartisan who often sides with Democrats. The Legislature's nonpartisan structure means voters select the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation, and political party designations do not appear on the ballot.

In Legislative District 18, northwest Omaha appears poised for a general election between Democrat Jess Goldoni, who led with 43%, and Republican Taylor Royal of Bennington, who received 34%. Republican Derek Schwartz of Bennington finished with 24%. The seat became open after State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha, a Republican, declined to seek reelection.

Democrats led multiple primary contests across Omaha-area races. In Legislative District 10, Democrat Cindy Johnson led with 59% over Republican Rebecca Rens' 41%. The seat is opening due to term limits for State Sen. Wendy DeBoer, a Democrat.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/nebraska-legislative-race-voters-narrow-candidates-in-11-crowded-primaries/)

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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/2026/05/13/nebraska-legislative-race-voters-narrow-candidates-in-11-crowded-primaries/.