Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has been ousted from his position as the state’s top elections official after losing the Republican primary to challenger Scott Petersen, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ. The defeat marks a significant shake-up in Cornhusker State politics, as an incumbent with broad party backing fell to a candidate who positioned himself further to the right.
Petersen, an Omaha businessman, secured victory in Tuesday’s primary by leading Evnen by roughly 6 percentage points with just over half of the votes counted as of late Tuesday night. The result came despite Evnen’s endorsements from a who’s who of Nebraska GOP power brokers, including Governor Jim Pillen, Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, and all three of the state’s House members. Those endorsements, however, were not enough to fend off a challenger who tapped into voter concerns about election security and loyalty to former President Donald Trump.
Evnen, now in his second term, had overseen Nebraska’s compliance with a Trump administration initiative that turned over state voter rolls to the Department of Justice ahead of the 2022 midterms. That effort was part of a broader push to audit election systems, but Petersen argued it fell short of what was needed to reassure voters. The challenger criticized Evnen for not doing enough to secure the state’s elections and called for tighter restrictions on mail-in voting, a stance that resonated with the party’s conservative base.
The primary loss is a reversal of fortune for Evnen, who had survived a similar challenge in 2022. In that race, he emerged with a 10-point lead and went on to win the general election unopposed. This cycle, however, the political winds shifted as Petersen’s campaign leaned heavily on his support for Trump and a message that Evnen was out of step with grassroots Republicans.
Nebraska’s secretary of state race now heads to a general election that is widely expected to favor Petersen. The state is reliably red, and Republicans have held the office for years. Petersen is likely to face a Democratic opponent, but the outcome is seen as all but certain in a state where GOP dominance is entrenched.
The upset comes amid a broader pattern of primary challenges targeting incumbents over election integrity issues, a theme that has played out in other states as well. In Nebraska, the race also intersects with other high-profile contests, such as the Powell House primary and the governor’s race between Pillen and Walz, which are shaping the state’s political landscape for November.
With Evnen’s defeat, Nebraska’s election administration could see changes under Petersen, who has signaled a more aggressive approach to voter roll maintenance and absentee ballot rules. The outcome also underscores the enduring influence of Trump-aligned candidates in GOP primaries, even in states where the party establishment remains strong.
