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Nebraska secretary of state loses GOP primary

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by Julia Mueller - 05/12/26 11:22 PM ET

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by Julia Mueller - 05/12/26 11:22 PM ET

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Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R) is projected to lose his slot as the state’s top elections official to a primary challenger, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Omaha businessman Scott Petersen won Tuesday’s Republican primary in the Cornhusker State, leading the incumbent by roughly 6 percentage points with a little over half of votes in as of 11 p.m. EDT.

Evnen had notched endorsements from major names in Nebraska GOP politics, including Gov. Jim Pillen, Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, and all three of the state’s House lawmakers.

Now in his second term, Evnen led the state as it turned over voter rolls to the Department of Justice, part of a push from the Trump administration ahead of the midterm elections.

But Petersen had posed a challenge against Evnen from the right, touting his support for President Trump.

He accused the incumbent of not doing enough to secure Nebraska’s elections and reassure voters. He also argued for restrictions on vote-by-mail.

Evnen had survived a primary challenge in his 2022 reelection bid, but emerged with a 10-point lead and sailed uncontested through that year’s November election.

Petersen is likely to win the general election in the ruby red state where Republicans have long controlled the secretary of state’s office.

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