Lincoln State Senator Jane Raybould has announced her decision to not to seek re-election to a second term in District 28. In an early morning news release Raybould made this statement to her friends, constituents, and all Nebraskans:
“I wanted to tell you how much I have treasured your support over the 16 years I have served my community and state. I am honored and humbled by the trust you have placed in me to serve you in the elected positions of Lancaster County Commissioner, Lincoln City Council, and currently as State Senator. Like all public servants, I juggled family obligations and outside work while participating in policy making. Knowing I was making a difference in my community has been tremendously rewarding and profoundly fulfilling. This was especially true as Chair of the Lincoln City Council during the COVID pandemic. It was a distinct honor to work with the courageous Director of Lancaster County Health, Pat Lopez, and Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird during the most challenging times. We worked together to keep our community safe, and we did.
The decision not to run for re-election for the Nebraska Legislature has been a thoughtful one long in the making. My retirement from my company was also a deliberate and well-scheduled plan. I knew I would serve in the legislature for at least one term. However, as my family and I went through my cancer diagnosis and treatment, I reflected on my own mortality and life priorities. My family has enthusiastically and wholeheartedly supported my political career throughout all my campaigns beyond anyone’s reasonable expectations. Thank you, dear family, for all the sacrifices and sharing that you have made. Now, it is my turn to be the full-time spouse, mom, grandma, sister, aunt, and friend they deserve. I plan to spend more time with all of them. I’m officially announcing that my next campaign is to be the best grandma ever!
For those of you who want to rush to judgment that it is directly related to the rather brutal session this year, you are wrong, but you are also welcome to speculate. There is no doubt that it certainly was a tough one. For those of you who know me, I have never shied away from any controversial issue, fought tirelessly, and advocated for smart policies for working families, small businesses, and the most vulnerable.
This is not a resignation speech. Oh no, not even close! I have another year and a half to serve my state. I am more committed and dedicated to being the most effective senator for the remainder of my term. I look forward to working with my colleagues as I have always done to create policies that help all Nebraska families and businesses thrive in a state that I love.”
Raybould was elected to the legislature in 2022. For her first two years, she served on the General Affairs, Agriculture, and Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs standing committees and the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) special committee. In 2025, Raybould’s standing committee assignments included Business and Labor, Agriculture, and Natural Resources. She remained on the STAR WARS special committee and was appointed by the Executive Board of the legislature to serve as the chair of the State-Tribal Relations Committee.
As a state senator, Raybould championed a wide variety of issues, including investments in affordable housing, campaign finance reform, red flag gun legislation, emergency care for victims of sexual assault, slowing and eliminating income tax cuts for the wealthiest Nebraskans, expanded access to and coverage of contraception, stability and predictability of indexed increases to the minimum wage, increasing the 90-day training wage, mental health access, expanding the Homestead Exemption, and more. Her legislation led to the creation of the position of liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, prioritized grant funds for water improvement projects for tribal lands under no-drink orders by the EPA, allowed for recognition of tribal emergency protection orders by the state of Nebraska, and passed the Family Home Visitation Act which provides evidence-based services for newborns and their families. Raybould also stood firmly against government restrictions on a woman’s right to choose and needless culture-war attacks on vulnerable trans children and adults.
In her final year, Raybould plans to focus on true property tax relief, the anticipated growing budget deficit, and the compounding effect of the accelerated income tax cuts on the state’s economic stability and future.