Former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom running for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd District
LINCOLN — Former Omaha State Sen. Brett Lindstrom has entered the race to be the Republican nominee to defend the Republican held 2nd Congressional District open seat.
'I'm running as a common-sense conservative to protect retirees and fight for working families … focused on the future and national security,' Lindstrom said.
Lindstrom, 44, on Monday became the second Republican to join the race.
He was long rumored to be one of the GOP candidates to jump into the Republican primary if Rep. Don Bacon chose not to run again in 2026. Omaha City Council Vice President Brinker Harding announced his bid last week. Bacon's 2024 GOP primary challenger, Dan Frei, is mulling a bid.
Lindstrom emphasized that he doesn't 'really get caught up' in who's in the race, but looks forward to people getting to know him and the other candidates, then deciding the best candidate to represent them. Lindstrom said he is a 'proven candidate' with a 'proven record' of getting things done.
The former state lawmaker who represented northwest Omaha in the Nebraska Capitol from 2015 to 2023 said he has a track record of a 'pragmatic' and 'common-sense' approach. Lindstrom was known for pushing bills that reduced state income taxes. He also voted to repeal the death penalty in the state, which was reinstated through a ballot measure in 2016.
Lindstrom pointed to his role in passing legislation that phased out taxes on Social Security income. He said he wants to bring that to the Hill. President Donald Trump's recently passed 'big beautiful bill' does provide new temporary tax deductions for Social Security, but it doesn't eliminate the tax on the federal program.
Lindstrom, a financial advisor, said he has been able to 'meet the challenges' the district faced during his time as a state senator, and is looking to 'continue to do that.' He said he wants to bring a different kind of leadership to Washington, an approach focused on 'real results, not partisan fights, because that's what Nebraska deserves.'
He was one of the Republican lawmakers in the officially nonpartisan statehouse to survive the 2018 'blue wave.' This would be Lindstrom's fifth campaign for elected office – he unsuccessfully ran to be the Republican nominee for governor in 2022. Most of his support during that bid came from Omaha.
The 2nd Congressional District is the state's most politically diverse and competitive — and could prove one of the most expensive races in Congress for the 2026 midterms.
Democrats already have a crowded field in the primary. Omaha political action committee co-founder and business owner Denise Powell and Omaha State Sen. John Cavanaugh have announced bids. Democrats Mark Johnston and Evangelos Argyrakis are also running. Douglas County District Court Clerk Crystal Rhoades, a Democrat, has said she is considering a House bid.
Lindstrom has endorsements from State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, State Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha and former State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon.
Harding has the endorsements of U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, former Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, and State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha. He also received the endorsement of former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, who endorsed Lindstrom for governor in 2022.
Lindstrom said his time in the Nebraska Legislature has given him the experience to handle the 'complexity' of Washington.
'The message and [my] work ethic will speak for itself,' he said.
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