Lynne Marie Walz (née Shallberg; born June 18, 1963) is an American politician who served as a Nebraska state senator in the Nebraska Legislature from 2017 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented District 15, which includes Fremont and surrounding areas.
In November 2025, Walz formed an exploratory committee to explore running for governor in 2026. Walz is currently the Democratic nominee for Governor after winning the primary in May 2026.
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Early life and education
Walz was born in Fremont, Nebraska and graduated from Arlington High School in 1981. She then went on to Midland Lutheran College to earn a B.A. in elementary education in 1994. She married her husband in 1986 and now has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. She is a distant cousin by marriage of Minnesota governor and 2024 Democratic nominee for Vice President Tim Walz.
Walz is a former teacher and worked for Fremont Public Schools and Archbishop Bergan High School. She is a current realtor at Don Peterson and Associates. Before entering the state legislature, Walz was on the Fremont Bergan School Board and served as the president of Fremont Board of Realtors.
Political career
Election results
Walz was first elected to the state legislature in 2016, defeating incumbent David Schnoor with 51% of the vote. She was chosen as the running mate (Lieutenant Governor) of fellow State Senator Bob Krist in his 2018 campaign for Governor. The Krist-Walz ticket lost the election receiving 41% of votes. Walz won reelection on November 3, 2020, against David Rogers with 59.6% of the votes. Walz was term limited in 2025.
Committees
At the beginning of the 2017 Legislative Session, Walz sat on the Education and Natural Resources Committees. From 2019 until 2025, she sat on both the Health and Human Services and Education Committee.
In 2021, she ran for Education Chair and won against incumbent Senator Mike Groene. Chairs are elected through a secret ballot and the final vote was 25–23. The secret ballot initiative has led to several Senators attempting rule changes every year.