Jim Pillen Wins Nebraska Republican Gubernatorial Primary | Election Night Speech

May 11th, 2022

Former Husker defensive back Jim Pillen knows how to pull victory from the clutches of defeat. He did it in 1978, recovering a fumble to help Nebraska beat Oklahoma.

He did it again Tuesday, snatching Nebraska’s GOP nomination for governor from Charles Herbster, the primary race favorite who had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Pillen notched a narrow win with help from much of the state’s Republican establishment, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and Pillen’s former coach and U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne.

The University of Nebraska regent had 33% of the vote as of midnight. Herbster, the CEO of Conklin Co., was second with about 30%. State Sen. Brett Lindstrom was running third with about 26%.

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