Meet Lynne
A Different Kind of
Leader for Nebraska.
Across every chapter of her life – farm kid, working mom, teacher, and legislator – Lynne Walz has lived by the same values: hard work, compassion, and service rooted in faith.
Lynne is running for Governor because Nebraska needs leaders who can look past political parties to solve problems, not point fingers. She’ll bring people together and focus on what matters to Nebraskans: ensuring people have the chance to build a good life and feel safe where they live. As Governor, she’ll strengthen public schools, keep property taxes in check, and make sure young people can build their futures here instead of leaving for somewhere else.
A lifelong Nebraskan, Lynne grew up on a small hog farm outside Fremont – a farm her family still owns today. Her father was a union carpenter, and her mother worked at the local hospital. Nothing on the farm was mechanized; everything depended on early mornings and honest work. Lynne and her siblings did the chores that kept things running – hauling buckets of water and feed, cleaning pens, and caring for the sows and their litters. For a few short years, she helped her family plant and harvest 100,000 onions by hand for her father’s short-lived onion business.
After high school, Lynne worked as a caretaker for three women with developmental disabilities. They quickly became her friends, teaching her compassion and patience – values that have guided her since.
A few years later, Lynne went back to school at Midland Lutheran College so she could get a better job to provide for her family. To help pay tuition, she opened an in-home daycare so she could stay close to her children and worked multiple jobs to get by – the deli at Hinky Dinky, evenings at the 3M plant, nights sorting corn at a corn seed factory, and weekends at a men’s clothing store.
After earning her degree in education, Lynne returned to serving others, working for a non-profit supporting people with developmental disabilities. She then entered the classroom, teaching 4th and 5th grade at Fremont Public Schools and at Archbishop Bergan Catholic School. She went on to serve on Bergan’s school board, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce Board, and as president of the Fremont Board of Realtors.
Faith and community have always anchored Lynne’s life. A lifelong Lutheran, she directs Vacation Bible School each summer and serves on the church council at Salem Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. Her faith remains a daily source of strength – the foundation for how she makes decisions and treats others.
In 2016, Lynne was elected to the Nebraska Legislature, defeating an incumbent Republican in a district Donald Trump carried by 33 points. She was re-elected in 2020 by 19 points.
In office, Lynne earned a reputation for working across party lines to get things done. She was elected by a bipartisan coalition of colleagues to chair the Education Committee, bringing together superintendents, teachers, counselors, and parents to set shared goals for Nebraska’s schools. She passed legislation supporting first responders and their families, accelerating long-delayed highway projects, expanding rural broadband, and strengthening teacher recruitment and retention.
When national activists called to defund the police, Lynne opposed them and stood with law enforcement. Her work earned her Legislator of the Year from the Fraternal Order of Police, and she’s proud to have the support of law enforcement officers who know she’ll always have their back. As Governor, she’ll continue to support and respect those who protect our communities while expanding mental-health programs to keep people safe.
As an average Nebraskan, Lynne knows just how hard it can be to make ends meet. She will work with all stakeholders to build an economy that works for everyone – not just big corporations and the wealthy. As Governor, she’ll focus on business development, supporting small family farms, lowering the cost of housing and daycare, and cutting taxes – not with handouts or politics, but with practical solutions and Nebraska common sense.
"My faith tells me to love thy neighbor. That is how I've always led my life as a mother, community leader and elected official."
Lynne and her husband, Chris Walz, live in Fremont. Chris is a longtime morning radio host and station manager there. They have three adult children – Adam, Patrick, and Emma – and seven grandchildren.
Lynne loves running, swimming, and spending time outdoors, but most of all, she loves spending time with family and spoiling her grandkids with Swedish pancakes hot off the griddle.
From the farm where she learned the value of hard work to the State Capitol where she learned how to get things done, Lynne Walz has always believed Nebraska’s best days are built on community, responsibility, and respect. As Governor, she’ll bring people together to focus on what matters: safer communities, lower costs, and giving every Nebraska family a fair shot at getting ahead.
