Nebraska election results: Democrat wins, but plans to drop out

An unusual Senate primary in Nebraska has a winner.

Cindy Burbank, a Democrat and retired pharmacy tech, has won the Democratic nomination in the state's May 12 Senate primary. But she may not stay in the race for long: Burbank has promised to drop out of the general election and endorse Dan Osborn, a populist independent, if she wins the nomination. The race comes as opponents attempt to flip incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts' seat in November.

Nebraskans statewide weighed in on candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives as both parties scramble for a majority on Capitol Hill. Here are Nebraska's results for the May 12 primary and what they mean.

Who won Nebraska's Senate primary?

Incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts won the GOP Senate primary by 81.8% of the votes with an estimated 96% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press and CNN.

Burbank won the Democratic Senate primary by 89% with an estimated 92% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press and CNN.

Nebraska hasn't had a Democratic senator in almost 15 years. So Burbank's rallying around Osborn is notable because he resembles a unique choice by the Democratic party from outside its traditional mold, experts say. However, some in the GOP claim Burbank's race was an unfair attempt by Democrats to ensure Osborn's win.

"Osborn is a perfect example of someone who is a culturally aligned working-class populist who can duck some of the baggage associated with the Democratic brand that we need to work on medium and long-term, but don't have time for in the short term," Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, previously told USA TODAY.

Who won Nebraska's House primary?

On the House side, voters chose among dozens of candidates for each of the state's three congressional districts. Incumbent GOP Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith will seek to defend their seats in the first district and third district, respectively.

In the second district, known as Nebraska's "blue dot," both parties fight for the open House seat of retiring Rep. Don Bacon. The race was not yet called early Wednesday morning, per the Associated Press and CNN: Denise Powell had earned 38.9% of the votes with an estimated 89% of votes counted. John Cavanaugh landed at 36.8% as of early Wednesday morning. Republican Brinker Harding won his primary uncontested.

If Cavanaugh left state politics for Washington, some worried his departure could pave the way for state GOP lawmakers to change Nebraska's electoral count rule, according to Enrijeta Shino, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama.

"(The second district primary) was being argued on the basis state electoral mechanics," Shino says.

Nebraska is one of two states with a split electoral vote. That means the statewide popular vote does not dictate the state's five electors in a winner-takes-all system. Instead, the state gives two electoral votes based on the statewide popular vote winner, then one is awarded based on the popular vote winner in each of the three congressional districts.

"The fight inside the primary is really about whether nominating a sitting state senator risks opening that seat to a gubernatorial appointment that changes the math," Shino says. "It is one of the few times a congressional primary has effectively functioned as a referendum on how a state allocates its presidential electors."

Nebraska House primary results

District 1

• Republican: Incumbent Rep. Mike Flood won the race uncontested.
• Democrat: Chris Backemeyer won with 57.5% of votes, with an estimated 94% of the vote counted.

District 2

• See above

District 3

• Republican: Incumbent Rep. Adrian Smith won 64.7% of the votes with an estimated 97% of the votes counted.
• Democrat: Becky Stille won her race uncontested.

Governor and other races

Nebraska also has elections for a number of other state government roles, including governor, secretary of state and attorney general, as well as local school board and municipal elections.

Nebraska's incumbent Gov. Jim Pillen earned 75.7% of the vote for the GOP nomination to defend his position, with an estimated 96% of the vote counted. And former state senator and Democrat Lynne Walz, won the opposing party's nomination by 91.3%, with an estimated 92% of the vote counted.

The gubernatorial race comes into focus in 2026 as President Donald Trump seeks state-level allies to ensure the success of his policy agenda, especially on topics such as immigration and election security. He has launched attacks on Democratic governors in recent months and signaled a willingness to exert federal power in state-level practices.

Contributing: Phillip Bailey