Jim Pillen

Pillen was born in Columbus, Nebraska, and grew up on a farm in Platte County, where he raised pigs with his father, Dale. He graduated from Lakeview High School in 1974, earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska in 1979 and received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University in 1983.⁠[1][2]

After returning to Nebraska in 1983, Pillen opened a small animal practice and a swine consulting practice. In 1993 he founded Pillen Family Farms, an agribusiness focused on pig farming, and in 2003 added DNA Genetics; his two oldest children joined the business in 2010. The companies now employ more than 1,100 people.⁠[1][2]

Pillen was elected to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from District 3 in 2012, took office in 2013, was re-elected unopposed in 2018 and served until 2023.⁠[2]

In the May 10, 2022, Republican primary for governor Pillen won with 33.9 percent of the vote, ahead of Charles Herbster (29.9 percent) and Brett Lindstrom (26.1 percent) among others; in the November 8 general election he defeated Democrat Carol Blood with 59.2 percent. He was sworn in as Nebraska’s 41st governor on January 5, 2023.⁠[2][1]

He has said his goals on taking office included protecting, training and keeping children in Nebraska, cutting taxes, growing agriculture and defending conservative values.⁠[1]

One week after taking office, Pillen appointed former governor Pete RickettsPete RickettsPete Ricketts is an American Republican politician and former President and Chief Operating Officer of Ameritrade who served as Governor of Nebraska from 2015 to 2023 and has represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate since 2023. On November 3, 2026, he won re-election to the Senate, defeating independent Dan Osborn.Open the full entry to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Ben Sasse.⁠[3]

In the May 12, 2026, Republican primary Pillen won renomination with 75.4 percent of the vote against five challengers, including John Walz and Sheila Korth-Focken; Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly was his running mate.⁠[4][2][3]

In the November 3 gubernatorial election Pillen and Joe Kelly faced Democrat Lynne WalzLynne WalzLynne Walz is an American Democratic politician and former teacher who represented District 15 in the Nebraska Legislature from 2017 to 2025. She was the Democratic nominee in the 2026 Nebraska gubernatorial election and lost to incumbent Governor Jim Pillen on November 3.Open the full entry and her running mate, Ben Steffen, as well as Brett Lindstrom and Rick Beard. Pillen claimed victory after midnight at his election night party in Lincoln; the Associated Press called the race for him just before 2 a.m. Central time on November 4, and Walz conceded that morning.⁠[4][5][6]

In his victory remarks he said, “We have brought Nebraskans together through relationships and business leaders.” He said one of his first priorities in his second term would be to assess the makeup of the new Unicameral to see what is possible legislatively, and noted that he and state senators would face a large and growing budget deficit.⁠[6]

Office of Governor Jim Pillen: Official website: https://governor.nebraska.gov/ (opens in a new window).⁠[7]

X: Public account: https://x.com/TeamPillen (opens in a new window).⁠[7]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GovJimPillen (opens in a new window).⁠[7]