Jim Pillen

Why they say you should vote for them

The candidate's own case to voters, summarized from their campaign and public statements.

• Says he ran in 2022 to focus on kids, taxes, agriculture and values, and is running on his record and a conservative vision.[1]
• Says he needs four more years to finish property tax reform, which he calls a decades-old problem.[1],[4]
• Says he runs government like a business, citing back-to-back AAA credit ratings and over $1.5 billion in reserves.[1]
• His 'Pillen Playbook 2.0' platform focuses on affordability, workforce, students, water and agriculture, and what he calls Nebraska values.[2],[3]

Background

• Governor of Nebraska (41st), State of Nebraska · 2023–present[1],[5]
• Member, District 3, University of Nebraska Board of Regents · 2013–2023[5],[6]
• Founder; added DNA Genetics in 2003, Pillen Family Farms · 1993–present[6],[5]
• Veterinarian (small animal and swine consulting practice), Columbus area · From 1983[6]

Education

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University[1],[5]
• Bachelor's degree, Animal Science, University of Nebraska–Lincoln[1],[5]

Where they stand

• Taxes
  Supports hard caps on local government spending and limits on property valuation growth; has sought to repeal sales tax exemptions and apply sales tax to more goods and services to fund property tax relief.[1],[7],[4]
• Economy & Jobs
  Says he would end tax incentives for large technology data centers, lower property insurance rates and stop hedge funds from buying homes.[2],[1]
• Education
  Supported the bell-to-bell school cellphone ban and opting in to the federal scholarship tax credit; wants every third grader reading at grade level and K-12 funding reform.[1],[2]
• Abortion
  Describes himself as '100% pro-life'; his platform pledges to 'protect life.'[1],[2]
• Guns
  Cites passage of constitutional carry (carrying concealed handguns without a permit) as part of his record.[1]
• Immigration
  Partnered with ICE in 2025 to convert a state facility in McCook into an immigration detention site, and says he would eliminate state taxpayer-funded benefits for people in the country illegally.[3],[2]
• Agriculture
  Cites the ban on lab-grown meat and a proposal for farmers to own their agricultural data; supports protecting the aquifer and expanding agricultural trade.[1],[2]
• Elections & Democracy
  Supports awarding all of Nebraska's electoral votes to the statewide winner and changes to the ballot petition process.[4],[2]

Voting record

Jim Pillen has not held an office with a recorded voting record. See Background and Where they stand.

In their words