LINCOLN— Former Nebraska state Sen. Bob Krist has entered the race for secretary of state as a candidate for the newly formed America First Party. Krist, a former Republican who later became an independent and the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor, had previously said he would not enter a three-way race. He reconsidered after being approached by the America First Party and will need at least 25 valid signatures from party members to qualify. Krist joins Republican Scott Petersen and Democrat Sarah Slattery in the race, with both opponents saying his entry does not change their campaign strategies.

Krist said his campaign will focus on maintaining confidence in Nebraska's election system and making voting accessible while preserving election security. He criticized the decision to provide Nebraska voter data to the federal government and said he would not have done so as secretary of state. Krist also expressed support for Nebraska's existing use of all-mail elections in some counties and said increasing voter turnout, particularly among rural residents and people in long-term care, should be a priority. He argued Nebraska's election system is already largely on the right track but could do more to make voting accessible to all eligible residents.

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