Nebraska poised for new approach to elections as Petersen ahead in secretary of state race

LINCOLN — Omaha businessman Scott Petersen was outpacing three other candidates early Wednesday for an apparent win as Nebraska secretary of state, likely cinching a new direction for state elections.

Petersen, as of 12:30 a.m., had 52% of the votes compared to Democrat and small business owner Sarah Slattery’s 42%. He will succeed Republican Bob Evnen, who was seeking his third four-year term as the state’s top elections official before Petersen comfortably beat him in the May GOP primary election.

Other opponents in the general election were former state senator Bob Krist, of the America First Party, and Douglas County special project manager Paul Rumbaugh of the Working People Party. Each had about 3% of the votes.

Petersen earlier described his upset victory against incumbent Evnen as a referendum on election integrity issues raised by President Donald Trump and supporters. 

He has argued that voting by mail should be restricted and has promised to conduct full hand counts of races. Petersen also questioned whether state ballot-counting machines can access the internet and be hacked, a threat that county election officials say is not possible.

The new secretary of state will be paid $85,000. 

The office was among four constitutional officer posts up for election besides the governor and lieutenant governor.

Another feisty race pitted incumbent Mike Hilgers against Democrat Jocelyn Brasher for Nebraska attorney general. As of early Wednesday, Hilgers had garnered 54% of the vote and Brasher had 46%.

The job of primary lawyer for the state  pays $95,000.

Brasher, a former deputy Dodge County attorney who previously worked five years in the Nebraska AG’s Office, had said Hilgers, a former state lawmaker, was leading in the “wrong direction.” She said he was legislating based on his personal political views.

For state auditor, Mike Foley of Lincoln, a Republican, toppled challenger John Knight of Clay Center for the America First Party. 

Foley, in securing 74% of the vote as of midnight, won his fourth nonconsecutive term as the independent watchdog for state and local government finances. The annual salary is $85,000.

He had been running unopposed until Sept. 1, when Knight, an engineer and senior program manager, joined the race. 

For Nebraska state treasurer, Joey Spellerberg, a Republican, had garnered 57% of the vote as of early Wednesday, ahead of Daniel Ebers, a Democrat who works in hotel management and who said he ran to give voters a choice. 

Spellerberg had been mayor of Fremont for five years when Gov. Jim Pillen appointed him as treasurer in November 2025. The post that monitors the flow of public dollars for the state pays an annual salary of $85,000.