Democratic
Lynne Walz
Major-party general-election nominee.
← all governor races
Lynne Walz vs. Jim Pillen: Nebraska governor election, 2026
Lynne Walz vs. Jim Pillen. Incumbent re-elected..
VotePredictor forecast (our model)
Jim Pillen favored
Safe R
99%
chance to win
R+8.9
predicted margin
Poll-driven model · 12 matched polls. Full forecast history and methodology → · Today's article: every poll and forecast →
Republican
Jim Pillen
Major-party general-election nominee.
Other listed candidates
- Brett Lindstrom · America First
- Rick Beard · Legal Marijuana Now
Polls
The polls behind it
15 polls · 12 in today's forecast · newest firstDimmed polls are more than 61 days old. They stay on the record, but today's forecast no longer counts them. Each pollster name links to the poll's source; the grade under it is its VotePredictor grade from past elections. Margin is the poll as published. The ± under the sample size is the 95% margin of error on each candidate's share, from the sample size (the gap between them is about twice as uncertain). VotePredictor adjusted (“Our adj.” on small screens) is not a poll: it is our correction of that poll, for its pollster's record in past elections and for registered-voter or all-adult samples. It is the number our forecast reads.
PollsterDateSampleMarginOur adj.VotePredictor adjusted
Other forecasts
VotePredictor (ours)
R 99%
a probability from our model
Cook
Lean R≈ R 75%
as of Oct. 29, 2026
DDHQ
Likely R≈ R 90%
as of Nov. 3, 2026
Fox
Likely R≈ R 90%
as of Nov. 1, 2026
IE
Likely R≈ R 90%
as of Oct. 29, 2026
NBC
Lean R≈ R 75%
as of Nov. 3, 2026
RCP
Solid R≈ R 99%
as of Nov. 1, 2026
Sabato
Likely R≈ R 90%
as of Nov. 2, 2026
Silver
Likely R≈ R 90%
as of Nov. 3, 2026
The source we collect records each outlet's rating category, not a probability; some of these outlets run models with their own numbers on their sites. The ≈ figure is the standard conversion of the category (Toss-up 50%, Tilt 60%, Lean 75%, Likely 90%, Solid 99%), the one our scorecard grades them on, not a number they published. They remain independent of VotePredictor. Sources and update dates ↗
Independent models
Win probabilities published by independent statistical models, shown with credit as their terms allow: Who Shows Up (whoshowsup.net), by Kurt Wirth. These are their numbers, not ratings converted by us, and not VotePredictor's. The better-known model forecasters (Decision Desk HQ, FiftyPlusOne, Silver Bulletin, the Economist) don't permit republishing their probabilities, so they appear above by rating only.
Past results
Every Nebraska election for governor we hold a result for.
YearWinnerMargin
Candidate news
Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen Secures Reelection, Defeats Democrat Legislator
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) successfully defended his seat on election night from Democrat candidate Lynne Walz, a former state senator. The post Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen Secures Reelection, Defeats Democrat Legislator appeared first on Breitbart.
Breitbart News · Yesterday
Could this be the year Democrats close the 'governor gap' with Republicans?
When people talk about this year's midterms, they tend to focus on whether Democrats will end unified Republican control of Congress by winning the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives (or both). And that makes sense: Congress has the power to check Presid…
Yahoo Entertainment · October 15, 2026
Trump mangles MAGA gov's name to his face as he racks up string of mental flubs at rally
A confused President Donald Trump appeared to blend the name of his own endorsed governor with one of his favorite political targets at a Monday night rally in Nebraska, one of several stumbles during a speech that ran nearly 90 minutes, according to The Dail…
Raw Story · October 6, 2026
GOP Governor Leading Immigration Crackdown Hires Undocumented Workers
Republican Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, a staunch supporter of President Trump’s extreme immigration crackdown, relied on undocumented Hispanic labor to build his multimillion dollar pig-farming business, according to The New York Times. As governor, Pillen …
The New Republic · September 9, 2026
Lynne Walz wins Democratic nomination for governor in Nebraska
Lynne Walz wins Democratic nomination for governor in Nebraska
Abcnews.com · May 13, 2026
Some ranchers question Trump’s policies as industry faces rising costs
Rancher Yvette Mannon was already dealing with a destructive wildfire and rising fuel costs before the US announced new foreign beef imports [Yvette Mannon] Nebraska rancher Yvette Mannon was already having a rough year.In April, a wildfire destroyed 1,600 …
BBC News · October 12, 2026
Trump Sparks Outrage by Suggesting Iran 'Take Out' L.A. and San Diego
President Donald Trump riled up California leaders by suggesting Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego with a nuclear weapon. Trump, 80, made the outrageous comment while speaking at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday, October 5, in suppor…
Us Weekly · October 6, 2026