Donald Trump endorses Gov. Jim Pillen for reelection

LINCOLN — President Donald Trump endorsed Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s reelection bid at a moment that some hope might prevent a bruising GOP primary for governor with former Trump donor Charles Herbster.

In a social media post Tuesday, the president gave Pillen his “complete and total Endorsement for re-election.” Trump pointed to Pillen “working tirelessly to Champion Nebraska Values” and other reasons.

“A very successful Veterinarian, Businessman, former Nebraska Cornhuskers football player under the LEGENDARY Coach Tom Osborne, and now, as Governor, Jim has a Proven Record of Success!” Trump posted on Truth Social. 

The president ended the post as he does most of his GOP endorsements on social media, writing, “HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

Pillen, in a Tuesday afternoon response to the president on social media site X, wrote that he was “deeply honored to have earned” Trump’s endorsement. 

“Conservative leadership matters, as he has proved time and again,” Pillen said on social media. “Thank you, Mr. President.” 

The endorsement comes as Herbster has increasingly sharpened his criticisms of the governor online. Herbster has said he is considering a rerun of his 2022 GOP gubernatorial bid, which he lost to Pillen, finishing second in a three-way race at the top with then-State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, who is running for the U.S. House in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. 

Herbster told the Examiner recently that, “Pillen’s shortcomings make it hard to say no” to running in 2026 and that he will decide closer to the new year. He had criticized Pillen for, among other things, not listening to the business community, for not selling the state aggressively enough to business leaders elsewhere and for resisting voter-approved medical cannabis. 

Herbster, in a statement, said while he is disappointed in Trump’s endorsement, “it is entirely reasonable that he would endorse the incumbent Republican governor.” He said he is still committed to exploring a run for governor. 

“This race is not about President Trump,” Herbster said. “It is about hard-working Nebraskans trying to make ends meet. It is about our farmers and ranchers, who have been asked to sacrifice for far too long. It is about the businesses trying to grow and bring jobs to our state, only to be met with roadblocks and mismanagement from this administration.”

Herbster’s statement ended with a note of defiance, saying he still plans to make a decision around the end of the year but that he is now more inclined to run than he was in the past few days.

Trump backing Pillen is a dramatic change from the last time Herbster faced the former University of Nebraska regent. In that race, Herbster had Trump’s endorsement, and the governor was backed by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, whom Pillen appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2023. Herbster was the president’s first major endorsed Republican candidate to lose in a 2022 GOP primary.

Pillen cruised to a general election victory against then-Democratic State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue after beating Herbster. 

The governor worked hard to earn Trump’s endorsement, taking far more trips to Washington, D.C., and the White House than his predecessors. He also vocally supported the Trump administration locally, including volunteering the state to host a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement jail for migrants awaiting deportation proceedings at a state prison facility in McCook. 

Pillen has taken some criticism at home from Democrats and some in his own party for what they said was putting Trump’s interests ahead of Nebraska’s.

Has 2026 GOP primary for Nebraska governor already started?

Local political observers were buzzing Tuesday about the endorsement and what it might mean for the potential GOP primary. Political strategist Perre Neilan of Neilan Strategy Group of Lincoln said the endorsement might make Herbster reconsider running. He said most endorsements are “nice to have but not critical,” but Trump’s endorsement in a GOP primary is a “big get for Governor Pillen.”

“The Trump endorsement will definitely give Herbster pause,” Neilan said. 

Jacy Todd, another GOP candidate for governor, said, “It’s not about President Trump’s endorsement. It’s about the people of Nebraska endorsing me.” 

“Makes me wonder what President Trump sees in Pillen with the way he has poorly run our state,” Todd said. 

This week, former State Sen. Lynne Walz launched an exploratory committee to consider a 2026 run for Nebraska governor on the Democratic side. 

Republicans outnumber Democrats in Nebraska by roughly 2-to-1, with about 22% of the electorate either registered either nonpartisan or with a third party. The primary is May 12. The general election is Nov. 3.