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James Douglas Pillen (born December 31, 1955)[1][2][3] is an American politician, veterinarian and livestock producer serving as the 41st and current governor of Nebraska since 2023.[4] A member of the Republican Party, Pillen served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from 2013 to 2023.
Jim Pillen | |
|---|---|
 Pillen in 2023 | |
| 41st Governor of Nebraska | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2023 | |
| Lieutenant | Joe Kelly |
| Preceded by | Pete Ricketts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 31, 1955 Columbus, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Suzanne Pillen |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion |
| Education | University of Nebraska, Lincoln (BS) Kansas State University (DVM) |
| Website | Campaign website |
| College football career | |
| No. 29 | |
| Position | Defensive back |
| Career history | |
| College | Nebraska (1975–1978) |
| High school | Lakeview (Columbus, Nebraska) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Pillen was born in Columbus, Nebraska, to Dale and Dorothy Pillen.[2] His parents were farmers.[5] Dale Pillen served in the United States Army during the Korean War.[6] He died at a Columbus hospital in 1999 at age 72.[6]
After graduating from Lakeview Junior-Senior High School in 1974, Pillen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.[7]
From 1975 to 1978, Pillen was a defensive back for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team under Tom Osborne.[8][9] He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2004.[10]
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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.[11] Pillen has also worked as president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and chaired the Columbus Community Hospital Board of Directors.[12] He has served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents (which governs the University of Nebraska System) since 2012, and as vice-chair and chair in 2018 and 2020, respectively.[7]
Pillen was the Republican nominee in the 2022 Nebraska gubernatorial election.[13][14] During the Republican primary election, he refused to debate his primary rivals.[15][16][17] Pillen was endorsed by incumbent governor Pete Ricketts and former governor Kay A. Orr.[18][19] In a crowded field of primary candidates, Pillen won the nomination with about 33.75% of the vote, defeating Charles Herbster (who received 30.13%), Brett Lindstrom (25.68%), and Theresa Thibodeau (6.05%).[20][13] Pillen's running mate was former U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Kelly.[21][22] Pillen campaigned on opposing abortion and critical race theory.[20] In the general election, he refused to debate the Democratic nominee, Carol Blood.[23]
Pillen was elected governor with 59.2% of the vote to Blood's 36.0% and Libertarian nominee Scott Zimmerman's 3.9%.[24] He took office on January 5, 2023. One week after being sworn in, he appointed his predecessor, Pete Ricketts, to the United States Senate seat left vacant by the resignation of Ben Sasse to become president of the University of Florida.[25]
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Elections
2022
Jim Pillen
- 80–90%
- 70–80%
- 60–70%
- 50–60%
-
40–50%
- 50–60%
Incumbent Republican governor Pete Ricketts was term-limited and unable to seek a third term.[26] Pillen won the gubernatorial election by a 23-point margin.
Nebraska's primary elections were held on May 10. Pillen won the Republican nomination, while state senator Carol Blood won the Democratic nomination.
The race took on increased importance in October 2022, when U.S. senator Ben Sasse announced he would resign and Ricketts said he would allow the winner of the 2022 gubernatorial election to appoint Sasse's replacement.[27] Pillen appointed Ricketts to replace Sasse.
Tenure
 | This article needs to be updated. (February 2023) |
Pillen drew criticism in October 2023 when responding to reporting about dangerously high levels of nitrates 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.[28] Claiming not to have read the article in question, 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?"[29] The Asian American Journalists Association issued a statement condemning Pillen's remarks, stating that "Xu, an investigative reporter who grew up in China, deserves to do her job without being judged because of her nationality."[30]
2024 special session
After announcing his intent to do so in his closing address to the 108th Legislature at its April adjournment,[31] Pillen called a special session of the Legislature in late July to address property taxes.[32] 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 the governor's request.[33]
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Pillen and his wife, Suzanne, have four children and seven grandchildren.[34] Pillen is Catholic.[35]
2022 election
| 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 | ||||
| Republican hold | |||||
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