Jim Pillen | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Pillen in 2025 | |
| 41stGovernor of Nebraska | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2023 | |
| Lieutenant | Joe Kelly |
| Preceded by | Pete Ricketts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1955-12-31)December 31, 1955 (age 70) Columbus, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Suzanne Pillen |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion |
| Education | University of Nebraska–Lincoln (BS) Kansas State University (DVM) |
| Website | Office website Campaign website |
| Football career | |
| No. 29 | |
| Position | Defensive back |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lakeview(Columbus, Nebraska) |
| College | Nebraska (1975–1978) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Other information | |
Jim Pillen speaks to service members at theOffutt Air Force Base. Recorded October 31, 2024 | |
James Douglas Pillen (born December 31, 1955)[1][2][3] is an Americanpolitician,veterinarian, andlivestock producer serving as the 41st and currentgovernor of Nebraska since 2023.[4] A member of theRepublican Party, Pillen served on theUniversity of NebraskaBoard of Regents from 2013 to 2023.
Pillen was born inColumbus, Nebraska, to Dale and Dorothy Pillen.[2] His parents were farmers.[5] Dale Pillen served in theUnited States Army during theKorean War.[6] He died at aColumbus hospital in 1999 at age 72.[6] His grandfather immigrated to the United States fromGermany and later served in the U.S. military duringWorld War I.[7]
After graduating fromLakeview Junior-Senior High School in 1974, Pillen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln and aDoctor of Veterinary Medicine from theKansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.[8]
From 1975 to 1978, Pillen was adefensive back for theNebraska Cornhuskers football team underTom Osborne.[9][10] He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2004.[11]
Pillen is a practicing veterinarian and also works as chair of Pillen Family Farms. The business, which employs members of Pillen's family, acquired DNA Genetics in 2003.[12] Pillen has also worked as president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and chaired the Columbus Community Hospital Board of Directors.[13] He has served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents (which governs theUniversity of Nebraska System) since 2012, and as vice-chair and chair in 2018 and 2020, respectively.[8]
Pillen was the Republican nominee in the2022 Nebraska gubernatorial election.[14][15] During the Republicanprimary election, he refused to debate his primary rivals.[16][17][18] Pillen was endorsed by incumbent governorPete Ricketts and former governorKay A. Orr.[19][20] In a crowded field of primary candidates, Pillen won the nomination with about 33.75% of the vote, defeatingCharles Herbster (who received 30.13%),Brett Lindstrom (25.68%), andTheresa Thibodeau (6.05%).[21][14] Pillen's running mate was former U.S. AttorneyJoseph P. Kelly.[22][23] Pillen campaigned onopposing abortion andcritical race theory.[21] In the general election, he refused to debate the Democratic nominee,Carol Blood.[24]
Pillen was elected governor with 59.2% of the vote to Blood's 36.0% and Libertarian nominee Scott Zimmerman's 3.9%.[25] He took office on January 5, 2023. One week after being sworn in, he appointed his predecessor,Pete Ricketts, to theUnited States Senate seat left vacant by the resignation ofBen Sasse to become president of theUniversity of Florida.[26]
2022
IncumbentRepublican governorPete Ricketts was term-limited and unable to seek a third term.[27] Pillen won the gubernatorial election by a 23-point margin.
Nebraska's primary elections were held on May 10. Pillen won the Republican nomination, whilestate senatorCarol Blood won theDemocratic nomination.
The race took on increased importance in October 2022, when U.S. senatorBen Sasse announced he would resign and Ricketts said he would allow the winner of the 2022 gubernatorial election to appoint Sasse's replacement.[28] Pillen appointed Ricketts to replace Sasse.
In October 2023, Pillen drew criticism when responding to reporting about dangerously high levels ofnitrates at his farms. Reporter Yanqi Xu had written that 16 Pillen farms had nitrate levels of at least 50 parts per million, five times the level considered safe to drink.[29] Claiming not to have read Xu's article, he said: "all you've got to do is look at the author. Author's from Communist China—what more do you need to know?"[30] TheAsian American Journalists Association issued a statement condemning Pillen's remarks, writing, "Xu, an investigative reporter who grew up in China, deserves to do her job without being judged because of her nationality."[31]
After announcing his intent to do so in his closing address to the 108th Legislature at its April adjournment,[32] Pillen called a special session of the legislature in late July to address property taxes.[33] A number of state senators expressed frustration at the call for a special session and with the proposals presented, some of which were introduced at Pillen's request.[34]
On August 19, 2025, Pillen and U.S. Secretary of Homeland SecurityKristi Noem announced that animmigration detention center calledCornhusker Clink would be established inMcCook, Nebraska.[35] The facility is planned to include 280 beds and will be in theWork Ethic Camp, a minimum-security prison labor camp in McCook.[36] Development came after theTrump administration pushed other immigration detention centers, such asAlligator Alcatraz.[37] The announcement immediately drew criticism from many Nebraska lawmakers and the NebraskaACLU.[38]
Pillen was criticized[39][40] for repeatedly referring toliberals as "libtards" during a January 20, 2026, telephone town hall.[41] He did not respond to media inquiries about his use of thepejorative.[42][43]
Pillen and his wife, Suzanne, have four children and seven grandchildren.[44] Pillen isCatholic.[45] In December 2024, Pillen sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in a horseback riding accident in Columbus, Nebraska, and was hospitalized.[46]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Pillen | 91,459 | 33.9% | |
| Republican | Charles Herbster | 80,642 | 29.9% | |
| Republican | Brett Lindstrom | 70,487 | 26.1% | |
| Republican | Theresa Thibodeau | 16,413 | 6.1% | |
| Republican | Breland Ridenour | 4,682 | 1.7% | |
| Republican | Michael Connely | 2,831 | 1.1% | |
| Republican | Donna Nicole Carpenter | 1,533 | 0.6% | |
| Republican | Lela McNinch | 1,192 | 0.4% | |
| Republican | Troy Wentz | 708 | 0.3% | |
| Write-in | 193 | 0.1% | ||
| Total votes | 269,947 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |
| 398,334 | 59.22% | +0.22% | |
| Democratic | 242,006 | 35.98% | −5.02% | ||
| Libertarian |
| 26,445 | 3.93% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 5,798 | 0.86% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 672,593 | 100.00% | |||
| Turnout | 682,716 | 54.93% | |||
| Registered electors | 1,242,930 | ||||
| Republicanhold | |||||
...James Douglas Pillen completed their family as their third son
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Pillen also spent several instances during the telephone town hall taking jabs at people who criticize him, repeatedly using the term "libtard," which is often seen as a disparaging description of someone who has left-leaning political views.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Nebraska 2022 | Most recent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Nebraska 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byasVice President | Order of precedence of the United States Within Nebraska | Succeeded by Mayor of city in which event is held |
| Succeeded by OtherwiseMike Johnson asSpeaker of the House | ||
| Preceded byasGovernor of Nevada | Order of precedence of the United States Outside Nebraska | Succeeded byasGovernor of Colorado |
Statewide political officials ofNebraska | ||
|---|---|---|
| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government | ||
| Legislature |
| |
| Supreme Court | ||
| Territorial(1854–1867) | | |
|---|---|---|
| State(since 1867) | ||
Italics indicate acting governors | ||