Primary
Democratic Primary
Held May 12, 2026.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cindy Burbank ✓ | 110,210 | 89.5% | |
| William Forbes | 12,863 | 10.5% |
Republican Primary
Held May 12, 2026.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Ricketts ✓ | 160,547 | 100.0% |
Legal Marijuana Now Primary
Held May 12, 2026.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Marvin ✓ | 829 | 66.4% | |
| Earl Starkey | 420 | 33.6% |
Full calendar and every race: Nebraska primary guide
Race Overview
Candidates
Average reflects all polls from the last 30 days; table shows the most recent 30 days or the newest 3 polls, whichever is more. How accurate is each pollster? →
No polls in the last 90 days.
Questions About This Race
Is the 2026 Nebraska Senate race competitive?
It is not considered a top-tier battleground: the expert consensus rates it Likely R, meaning Republicans are clearly favored but an upset is not impossible.
When is the 2026 Nebraska Senate race decided?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
How is the PollingSource average calculated?
The PollingSource average is the unweighted mean of every scientific public poll of the race from the last 30 days — we do not exclude pollsters. Each race page lists the individual polls behind the average with pollster, field dates, sample size, and margin of error. Full details: pollingsource.com/methodology.
Race Notes
Appointed 2023; first full term election
Independent Expenditures Updated 5 hours ago
Top Spenders
- WORKING CLASS MAJORITY PAC, INC Dem-aligned $1,967,713
- COMMON DEFENSE ACTION FUND GOP-aligned $422,825
- FELLOWSHIP PAC GOP-aligned $350,000
- DEFENDING OUR VALUES PAC GOP-aligned $274,485
- SLF PAC GOP-aligned $256,667
- NEBRASKA DEMOCRATIC PARTY $217,784
- THE CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DBA AMERICANS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY $16,346
- PROGRESSIVE TURNOUT PROJECT $12,538
- RED SENATE $10,000
- CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC GOP-aligned $9,987
Full outside-spending research — every committee, every race →