Lindstrom Trumps for Governor's Seat

Nebraska candidate for governor Brett Lindstrom stopped in Sidney Saturday, Feb. 19, for a meet and greet event at the Sidney Elks Lodge.

Lindstrom grew up in Omaha and was a walk-on for the Huskers following high school. In 2014, Lindstrom ran for the Nebraska Legislature from the 18th District in northwestern Omaha. In the 2015 Legislative session, Lindstrom was appointed to the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, and to the Natural Resources Committee.

Lindstrom is an avid outdoorsman and pro-Second Amendment.

In his Sidney visit Saturday, he said he has passed about 60 bills in his eight years in the state legislature. High points include law enforcement tuition reduction and nursing protection. He supports quality education that teaches American values, and he is committed to making college more affordable.

“America is the most just, free and prosperous nation in human history. Our Nebraska children deserve a fact-based, patriotic education that seeks to unify rather than divide. Anti-American, divisive and left-wing propaganda like "Critical Race Theory" has no place in our public schools,” Lindstrom said on his campaign website.

He is also committed to ending the state's Social Security income tax. He said Saturday the tax cut would impact about 325,000 people, the biggest tax cut in state history.

He announced Saturday that he picked Dave Rippe of Hastings as his Lt. Governor running mate. Rippe, 39, lead the state's Department of Economic Development 2017-2019, Prior to that, he was the executive director of the Hastings Economic Development Corp from 2010-2017.

Lindstrom said on his tour he had the chance to meeting with residents in Kimball regarding planned work on the missile silos, and impact on land and water. He said he would like to see the western part of the state with more influence. He is working to be “everywhere.”

“I want to make sure that I'm out,” he said.

He said the child care, rural broadband and infrastructure on also important issues.

Nebraska has a 1.7 percent unemployment rate, he said, but also has an estimated 350,000 unfilled jobs.

He was asked how other states are becoming so affluent and attractive without income tax. He said part of the answer is a tighter tax code.

He was also asked about the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: the influence of Critical Race Theory (CRT), and other social topics. He was told the English department spends more time on social issues than teaching English. Lindstrom said the answer includes the regents, and controlling funding. He stressed he is not anti-UNL.

“We have to control some of it, or it will go out of control,” he said.

He was also told voters want a bulldog, a governor who will stand for state issues.

Lindstrom is the third candidate to enter the race for Nebraska governor and stop in Sidney: Republicans Charles W. Herbster and Jim Pillen have also made stops in Sidney. Also seeking the governor's seat are Theresa Thibodeau (Republican), Breland Ridenour (Republican), Michael Connely (Republican) and Carol Blood (Democrat).