FREMONT, Neb. — Former State Sen. Lynne Walz on Monday launched an exploratory committee to run for Nebraska governor in 2026, seeking to uplift Nebraskans’ concerns instead of their partisanship.

Walz, in an announcement interview with the Nebraska Examiner, said the state’s political system and economy are “broken.” She said she wants to hear from Nebraskans about their lives and work to find solutions together before formally launching a formal gubernatorial bid. Such arrangements let potential candidates raise money and gauge public support.

“This campaign is going to be a campaign for the people, and it’s my job, as far as I’m concerned, to go out and really listen to the people,” Walz said.

Walz said politicians, no matter their political stripes, are “no longer interested in fighting for the average person,” so she said it’s important to elect “average people” who know the real world. She’s a former fourth and fifth-grade teacher, local church leader, and mother of three who has worked various jobs to make ends meet, from sorting seed corn to working in a local deli.

Walz plans to travel the state in early December and hold listening sessions with taxpayers. She said she would incorporate those ideas into her campaign for governor, a decision she expects to finalize in early 2026. Non-incumbents must file by March 2.

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