By JULIE ALCORN
On Saturday, April 23, 2022 in Rushville, the Sheridan and Dawes County GOP members hosted a gathering where area voters had the pleasure of meeting many of the state level republican candidates who will appear on the Republican primary ballot on May 10, 2022.This list is not a complete list of the candidates on the primary ballot. Those candidates not listed here were not in attendance at the candidate’s rendezvous or did not respond to invitations to attend.
This is a summary of the candidates’ words and biographies submitted for the event. You can find more information for these candidates on their websites and Facebook pages. Also, in attendance and speaking to the group were Senators Tom Brewer and Steve Erdmann.
Public Service Commission is tasked by the Nebraska legislature to ensure that all Nebraskans have safe and ready access to public utilities, transportation, manufactured housing, grain warehousing and telecommunications to name a few.
Kevin Stocker, who brings integrity, knowledge, and experience, is a candidate running in District 5 for the position on the commission. Kevin has followed the workings of the commission for over 20 years. He has owned and operated successful businesses that have been inspected and licensed by the commission. Kevin is a solid constitutional conservative and has a practical understanding of the commission’s functions. He would like to see funds appropriated to provide broadband to needed areas of Nebraska. Also, he feels that the commission should operate from a more proactive position rather than a reactive one. He wants to be available to listen to his constituents. More at www.kevinstocker.com
Attorney General is a four- year term and has 131 employees.
Jennifer Hicks and her family from Peru, Nebraska are patriotic constitutionalists. Jennifer saw what happened during the 2020 election and decided that our vote is our voice in government. She believes in securing our elections and protecting the people’s role in government. Jennifer believes we have the freedom to make our own medical decisions, upholds second amendment rights, and is against CRT and CSE. She believes we need to restore common sense to government and turn away from the “because I said so” government policies. Securing our voting system is a top priority, she feels. Find more information on Mrs. Hicks at www.voicesofnebraska.com.
Larry Bolinger, who was held up by the snow storm on Saturday, is from Alliance, NE. Larry’s platform includes the importance of law reform, trying important cases, and to work with programs that reduce recidivism in our prisons. He joined the military after graduation then later received a degree in political science with a minor in criminology from UNL. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at Bellevue University. He has owned a business for over 20 years, is an author of 16 books, is married and has 5 children. With the overcrowding in our correctional facilties and increase in recidivism, Larry feels that it is time for law reform to reduce recidivism. Larry could be a write-in on the ballot.
Mike Hilgers, a Nebraska born resident, holds a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Hilgers Graben PLLC, his law firm, helps clients defend their rights in courtrooms around the country. His company has been named by INC magazine as one in 5,000 fastest growing companies in the US three times. Mike has served in the Nebraska Legislature since 2017 serving as the Rules Chairman, the Chair of the Executive Board, and was elected the Speaker of the 107th legislature. He and his wife Heather are raising their four children in Lincoln. As part of his legislative duties, he has been working with legislation to protect law enforcement, secure Nebraska water rights, and ensure that the federal government stays within the constitutional lane to not overreach into the state. He is a strong supporter of voter ID and upholds the rights of the unborn.
State Board of Education has a one billion dollar budget and represents 16% of our total Nebraska state budget. Positions are non- paid, but expenses are reimbursed. Terms are for four years.
Robin Stevens is the incumbent member of the board for district seven. He lives in Gothenburg and has been a teacher, coach and superintendent for 40 years. His foundational beliefs are in the importance of family, faith, and service. Married to Lynette for 47 years, Robin has two daughters and four grandchildren. Robin is a Christian. In his next term, he would like to address the educator shortage in our state and work on reducing barriers that potential educators face in Nebraska. State to state reciprocity for teacher certification (LB 1218) would help teachers. He would like to expand Early Childhood education. He states that he opposed the proposed Health Standards the board introduced which include what he feels is inappropriate language and age- inappropriate material for health education. Website: www.robinforstateschoolboard.com
Pat Moore, a retired minister from Hazard, NE, believes that parents are the primary educators of their children as they work cooperatively with the school boards and teachers. He opposes Critical Theory which pits the oppressed against the oppressor and Critical Race Theory which uses race to pit us all against each other. Pat holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Grace University in Omaha. Pat is the administrator of Faith Christian School in Kearney. Over the years, Pat has served as a volunteer firefighter and community leader in several small Nebraska towns. Consulting with struggling churches is an ongoing service Pat offers. His skills in problem solving and identifying difficulties with ideas to overcome them are strengths he brings as a candidate to the State Board of Education. Website: www.patmoorenesboe.com
Elizabeth Tegtmeier brings her experience and passion as an educator as she runs for the position on the board. Elizabeth has taught at all three levels of education that the NDE regulates: public, private, and homeschooling. She is a mother of five with an English Ed degree grades 7-12. She also holds a masters degree with emphasis in the areas of curriculum and instruction. Elizabeth feels that when the board introduced standards that would sexually indoctrinate our children, with only Kirk Penner to oppose it, she was ready to run for the board. As a board member, she would like to address areas such as academic proficiency, the teacher shortage, and holding the NDE accountable. Elizabeth has traveled over 19,000 miles in Nebraska to listen to residents who have grave concerns about education in our state schools. Tegtmeier has been endorsed by 17 conservative state senators including Senators Erdmann and Brewer and many other elected officials who believe that she will take a strong stand for our needs in Lincoln. She states that she will be the voice of voters and not special interest groups. Website: www.elizabeth4stateschoolboard.com
Governor of Nebraska oversees the state military, budget, board of pardons, education commission and criminal laws as a few of the duties. The governor’s salary is $105,000 per year at present.
Breland Ridenour is a devoted Christian from Elkhorn, NE where he lives with his wife and two children. He manages a Nebraska-grown company in Omaha called IT. He was raised on a small homestead where he was homeschooled as he helped his family care for the livestock and the garden. His family believed that a person should prioritize the understanding and application of God’s word over religion. There were many lessons on how to serve God and country. It was there that he developed his devoted sense of patriotism and the knowledge of our American government. He feels that we need a Governor to bring back God in our schools and government. A true constitutionalist, Breland believes we need to protect our rights and restore the rights that have been stolen. Breland supports constitutional carry, and the rights of the unborn. He is running as Governor with the intent to make Nebraska a better state where life and liberty are preserved. He would like to take a serious look at property and income taxes. Breland is a proponent of knowing what our government is doing. www.ridenourforgovernor.com
Theresa Thibodeau, a conservative Republican, is an experienced entrepreneur who knows what it is like to work hard, build a business from the ground up, and navigate the complexities of government bureaucracies. She graduated from the University Nebraska Omaha as an academic All-American athlete. She met her husband of 21 years, Joe, at St. Robert’s grade school in Omaha. Joe is a cardiologist serving several rural clinics in their area. In 2014, she opened the Primrose School of La Vista that focused on Early Childhood Development where there were 185 students and 48 teachers and staff. Governor Ricketts appointed Theresa to the Nebraska Legislature in 2017 and to the Juvenile Court Nominating Committee in 2019. She has served on the Omaha personnel Board and was elected chair of the Douglas County Republican party in 2019, where she led a rebuilding of the party with a fresh new vision of county party organization focusing on down-ballot candidates and local elections. She is pro-life and believes in protecting every innocent life from the time of conception. She would like to see property taxes lowered for farmers, ranchers, and business owners. She would like to do a deep dive into spending at the Nebraska state level and cut spending and waste. She does not want our tax dollars to go to the illegal immigrants crossing our southern border. www.theresaforgovernor.com
Troy Wentz is a Christian farmer who has many skills as a “Jack of all trades”. He is a creative thinker and has ideas of how to overhaul the property tax system in Nebraska, not just reduce the property taxes. He would like to see major changes as to how the large Nebraska government could be smaller. He would like to see Americans of all political parties begin to push back against the overreaching federal government that controls us today. He feels that the present government is trying to destroy America. He has been a non-partisan Independent, but also a registered Republican who feels like Ben Franklin at times, “I see how parties divide people.” Troy is against CRT and teaching inappropriate sex education to young children. “Americas founders were brilliant people who believed in God and believed in having a small government, not a large one that controls people, one that would grow into a country where all people are created equal and give us freedom,” states Troy. Find more information about Troy and his platform on his website www.troywe.xyz
Brett Lindstrom, a native to Lincoln was raised in Omaha, where he lives with his wife and three children. Brett was unable to attend our Candidate Rendezvous but was planning to be there. Brett graduated from Millard West High School and went on to UNL where he walked on to the Cornhusker’s football team. Brett’s platform includes fighting for the issues that Nebraskans care about most, fighting for a pro-life stand in Nebraska, and working to cut taxes. The Grand Island Independent wrote about Brett, “This tax reduction will be an economic driver for the state, and allowing older Nebraskans to keep a little more of their hard-earned benefits will mean they are better able to pay for things like the growing cost of prescription drugs, food, and utility bills.” He has consistently fought to cut taxes in the Unicameral. He was the chief sponsor that cut Social Security taxes for our seniors. To fight the opioid epidemic, Brett has secured funding for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program that prevents doctor shopping and provides education by strengthening the doctor/patient relationship. Email him at brett@votelindstrom.com
Lela McNinch, a Nebraska resident of 57 years, has served Nebraskans through work in the Corrections system, Emergency Management, and the Nebraska Department of Education. She believes that being a servant to others is one of the main roles of being a Governor. At present, Lela is an adjunct professor in the school of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Her focus has been to create a safer Nebraska for all residents and visitors to our great state. Lela and her husband, Jerry, have five daughters and seven grandchildren. Inside our prison system, Lela served as a corrections officer and then as an Emergency Preparedness Response Specialist and Crisis Negotiator for over 12 years. Work sites include the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, Airpark Treatment Center, Lincoln Correctional Center and the Nebraska State Penitentiary. Lela served Nebraskans through the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency training local, county, and state first responders in mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery to all hazards. She worked with state emergency management teams for safety in times of natural disasters, health emergencies and manufactured crisis. Her financial management includes oversite of Emergency Management/9-1-1 budgets and a 1.8 million-dollar multi-year Homeland Security grant. For the Nebraska Department of Education, Lela with school and security with students and staff. When state budget cuts eliminated the school safety position, Lela worked with Nesbitt and Associates to develop “School Security Services” which upgraded school safety plans across the state. As senior consultant, their organization has trained thousands of educators in Nebraska to protect themselves, our students, and our children. She is a small business owner of Security Solutions which teaches safety planning and implementation. As an adjunct professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology for the U of N Omaha, she is an expert on school violence. The list of her accomplishments and awards in her areas of expertise are numerous. As your next Nebraska governor, Lela will protect your rights and freedoms and lead with kindness, love and strength while always remaining humble. Website: www.lelamcninchforgovernor.com
Michael Connely, a retired Marine Corp Sgt., lives in both York and Otoe counties. His military background includes helicopter electronics, military police, military intelligence, nuclear biological chemical warfare defense preparedness, and medical laboratory. Most recently before his run for Governor, Michael worked on call for the Department of Defense. As a civilian, Michael has worked in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and transportation. Executive positions he has held include State Quality Assurance Director for the US Census, International Educational Advisor for the Japanese Ministry of Education, and educational director for high level academic schools. Michael is the author and sponsor of various initiatives to put on the November 2022 ballot including: replacing the State Board of Education, medical freedom, election integrity, and the 2nd amendment initiatives. Volunteer experience for Michael includes Lincoln Literacy Council, Korean Orphanage Project, Big Brother of America, and Red Cross as a Disaster Assessment Specialist. Michael has received special awards from Bausch and Lomb for an honorary science award, an economics award where he was the top person out of 17,000 participating, and multiple military letters of commendation. Michael asks for your vote on May 10th for his team at www.voicesofnebraska.com . “We are the candidates who are pushing for a hard stop to socialist spread, now before the election,” states Michael.
Secretary of State oversees the elections in Nebraska as part of their duties.
Bob Evnen is the incumbent Secretary of State and is running for re-election. He practiced law for over 30 years prior to running in 2019. Bob also served on the State Board of Education being appointed for one term and running to win for a second. He is endorsed by the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the Nebraska Right to Life, NRA, Nebraska Professional Firefighters Assoc., the State Troopers Assoc., and the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police. He is also supported by the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association. Bob has been endorsed by every conservative senator in the legislature, including all of the senators representing western Nebraska. Bob has been an active member of the Nebraska Republican party for 35 years. He has chaired the Platform and Resolutions Committees of the party. He has served as General Counsel to the party and Assistant Chair. He was elected as a delegate to the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Conventions where he supported Donald Trump. He supports voter ID. He believes that private money should be prohibited from going to county voting officials. He proposed a bill to eliminate voter drop boxes in Nebraska which began during the COVID pandemic. “I think we should get rid of all of them,” Bob said. His wife, Debra, and he have three children and three grandchildren. Website is www.bobevnenfornebraska.com
Rex Schroder, a lifelong public servant and fourth generation Nebraskan, has a certificate in General Agriculture from UNL. He is an entrepreneur and a business owner. He decided to run for Secretary of State because he believes that the November 2020 election was stolen from the Republicans. His aim is to clean up the voter roll books, end the use of voting machines, eliminate drop off boxes, limit early voting, and return to counting ballots by hand. Rex does not take any donations for his campaign and he makes a pledge to not take any after his election to become Secretary of State for Nebraska. Rex says that he will fight for the people of Nebraska and not for the corrupt establishment. His platform is to stand on courage and integrity. It takes guts to say, “No, I will not accept that!” “Do you want just another suit wearing politician or do you want a public servant?” Rex states. Find more information about Rex and his platform at www.voicesofnebraska.com
Robert Borer, born and raised in Nebraska, is a graduate of Doane University with summa cum laude honors. He is the father of “six bright, hardworking, wonderful kids,” all now adults. Bob and his wife Cheryl reside in Lincoln. Bob is a retired fire captain who served for 27 years on Lincoln Fire and Rescue engine/EMS/rescue crews and as a training officer. The pinnacle of his career was leading the team that launched a harrowing life-saving attempt up a 1500 feet TV tower in Western Nebraska. The attempt earned him and his team the inaugural Congressional Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, our nation’s highest civilian award for valor. For the last two years since his retirement, Bob has dedicated himself to holding local and state government officials and agencies accountable for actions that negatively impact our civil liberties. Bob believes that the citizens of Nebraska deserve accountability and transparency from their elected and appointed public servants. He is running for Nebraska Secretary of State to, once again secure for us, the sacred integrity of our elections. Without election integrity, there is no consent of the governed, and we are no longer free citizens. Bob stated he is all about transparency, transparency, transparency! As of now, we are not allowed to look at the voting records to really see what happened. Bob will fight tirelessly to ensure that outside special interest groups, profit-driven corporations, and the federal government do not steal the “Good Life” from honest, hard-working Nebraskans. He was recruited by his peers, his fellow Nebraskans, and help from God. See more on Robert Borer for Secretary of State at www.robertjborer.com
UNL Board of Regents
Kathy Wilmot, a sixth generation Nebraskan, lives in Beaver City with her husband. Following graduation from college, Kathy taught in our public schools. Kathy became the Area Director of Mid-Nebraska working with mentally and physically challenged individuals as well as QMEP with Bethphage Mission. She was the Training Officer and Accreditation Manager for the Norton Correctional Facility with the Kansas Department of Corrections prior to her recent retirement. During her time at the Norton Correctional Facility, Kathy was elected to serve on the State Board of Education representing western Nebraska for eight years. It was there that she proved to be a strong conservative voice for academic education, parental rights, local district control. She worked hard to stop the comprehensive sex education invading our classrooms at that time. Kathy is currently President of Nebraska Eagle Forum, she serves as At-Large Director of Eagle Forum’s Board and is endorsed by the Nebraska Right to Life. She would like to work on projects such as eliminating CRT in UNL classes, advocating for students rights in the classroom, and improving skill levels so students can graduate ready for their careers. A question she was asked was, “How do you make sure Christian students are not penalized for sharing their views?” Her reply was to educate staff so they know that this kind of penalty is not supposed to happen.
Matt Williams, a fourth generation Nebraskan, was born and raised in Gothenburg. Growing up on his family farm, Matt learned the values of hard work and responsibility. These values helped him earn a scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska, where he received both his undergraduate and his law degree. Following graduation, Matt and his wife Susan moved to Gothenburg to take over management of the family-owned bank. In 2015, Matt became a state senator representing District 36 in Central Nebraska and was re-elected in 2018. Over the last seven years, he has voted to reduce property and income taxes, eliminate tax on Social Security and military retirement, protect the unborn and protect gun owner rights. Matt has supported local control and legislation to grow jobs. Matt is running for the Nebraska Board of Regents to build a stronger Nebraska by retaining our best and brightest students, strengthening our workforce, and keeping the University transparent and affordable.
State Treasurer
Paul Anderson, a registered Republican since 1980 and a born again Christian, is now retired from the Burlington Northern Railroad where he worked for 35 years. He has also been in the US Naval Reserves for 21 years. At one point he co-owned a grocery store in Omaha and two downtown Omaha apartment buildings. His is running so voters will have a choice for their vote. He platform includes working with the Nebraska legislature to bring needed change in addressing “dark money” issues with our Nebraska elections, collection of the money for child-support, and reviewing the salaries for state senators. Paul is not asking for donations for his campaign, he is leaving it in God’s hands. Paul says that he does not have a website, but asks for your vote on May 10.