The Associated Press said Tuesday evening that Jim Pillen had won the Republican nomination for governor of Nebraska, defeating CharlesHerbster, who spent the final weeks of the campaign denying sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women.
Jim Pillen talked about his campaign on January 18.
The AP projected Pillen as the winner. Eastern.
According to figures compiled by the AP, Pillen had 33.4% of the vote, followed byHerbster at 28.7% and Lindstrom at 27.7%.
Six other candidates had less than 10% of the vote.
In the general election, Pillen will face off against Carol Blood. The state is reliably conservative and has elected a Democratic governor in the past.
A businessman and Republican donor, Herbster earned Trump's endorsement late last year, and his campaign pitch was filled with references to Nebraska. The University of Nebraska regent who has pushed to ban critical race theory in the state college system has the support of the incumbent governor. Several women accused Herbster of touching them in recent years, including a state senator who said he reached up her skirt at a local Republican event. In an interview, Pillen calledHerbster's behavior disgusting, and in a statement, he said it was disqualifying. The state senator who accused him of misconduct filed a defamation suit against him, and Trump defended him at a rally.
The successes and failures of Trump-endorsed candidates are often seen as a referendum on the former president's power over the Republican Party. His endorsement track record is uncertain, as he vaulted from 10% support in pre- election polls to Republican primary victory following Trump's endorsement. Donald Trump Jr., one of the president's sons, said that Trump-endorsed candidates hadn't lost any primaries this year.
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