Primary
Primary held May 12, 2026.
Democratic Primary
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cindy Burbank ✓ | 110,210 | 89.5% | |
| William Forbes | 12,863 | 10.5% |
Legal Marijuana Now Primary
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Marvin ✓ | 829 | 66.4% | |
| Earl Starkey | 420 | 33.6% |
Republican Primary
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Ricketts ✓ | 160,547 | 81.5% | |
| Todd Knobel | 15,921 | 8.1% | |
| Debb Axtel Schultz | 11,735 | 6.0% | |
| Mac Stevens | 5,204 | 2.6% | |
| Eric Mortimore | 3,667 | 1.9% |
Full calendar and every race: Nebraska primary guide
Race Overview
General Election Polling Trend
PollingSource average — trailing average of all polls from the last 90 days.
Candidates
General Election Polling Average
Average reflects all polls from the last 90 days; table shows the most recent 30 days or the newest 3 polls, whichever is more — subscribe for the full history. How accurate is each pollster? →
| Pollster | Date | Sample | MoE | Dem | Rep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tavern Research (D) partisan·D | 2026-05-11 | 1165 LV | ±3.50 | Cindy Burbank 47.00% | Pete Ricketts 42.00% |
Questions About This Race
Who is winning the 2026 Nebraska Senate race?
Cindy Burbank leads Pete Ricketts 47% to 42% in the PollingSource polling average — a D+5.0 margin based on 1 poll from the last 90 days.
Is the 2026 Nebraska Senate race competitive?
Yes — the PollingSource polling average rates it Lean D: Democrats are favored, but the race is competitive. Note: our polling average (Lean D) diverges from the expert consensus (Lean R) — that gap makes this a race to watch.
What does the latest poll of the 2026 Nebraska Senate race say?
The most recent public poll, from Tavern Research (D) (completed May 11, 2026), found Cindy Burbank (D) at 47% and Pete Ricketts (R) at 42%.
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 90 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 4 hours ago
Top Spenders
- WORKING CLASS MAJORITY PAC, INC $402,522
- COMMON DEFENSE ACTION FUND $395,047
- FELLOWSHIP PAC $350,000
- DEFENDING OUR VALUES PAC $274,485
- SLF PAC $256,667
- NEBRASKA DEMOCRATIC PARTY $217,784
- RED SENATE $10,000
- CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC $9,987
- INDIGO PAC $431
- THE PEOPLE UNITED PAC $113
Full outside-spending research — every committee, every race →