South Sioux City resident and farmer Becky Stille has announced her candidacy for Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District (NE-03).
So far, Stille is the only Democrat running in 2026 to unseat longtime Republican Rep. Adrian Smith, who’s successfully fended off conservative and progressive challengers since 2006. Smith will face a primary opponent in David Huebner, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent.
The unique NE-03 is one of the largest non-at-large districts in the country, covering nearly 65,000 square miles, two time zones, and 80 counties.
“She’s not a political insider. She’s a neighbor, a listener, and a fighter. And now, she’s stepping up to bring real representation to a district that’s been ignored by Washington for too long,” said Ryan Griffin, Vice Chair of County Parties for the Nebraska Democratic Party, in a campaign email. “We know NE-03 is a red seat. But Rural Nebraska matters—whether it’s red on the map or not.”
Stille is a lifelong Nebraska resident, mother, and grandmother. Her campaign website said she’s “gone from being a single teenage mother to her current position where she earns a six-figure salary,” but maintains a closeness to hardships experienced by NE-03 residents: “As my family and I are going through the same struggles.” Stille is a quality manager for Ag Processing Inc (AGP).
Her website outlines policy priorities such as clawing back funding and grants previously approved by Congress but later targeted by GOP-backed reconciliation and rescission bills; advocating for tax cuts and incentives that “benefit us”; and protecting federal programs like Social Security, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
In fact, opposition to President Donald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending package—dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)—may prove to be the Stille campaign’s bellwether issue. Her website barbs the “MAGA/Trump/Smith” coalition, accusing them of “dividing our country and crippling our democracy,” citing efforts from Republicans to “dismantle” the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, the Department of Education, the National Institute of Health, and “politicizing” the Department of Defense and other institutions.
Further, rural America has become a focus for the 2026 election, and whether traditionally conservative communities—like those in NE-03—will break from Republican candidates.
The current administration’s aggressive, tariff-happy trade policies have produced anxiety for Nebraska farmers, Nebraska GOP Rep. Don Bacon told NewsNation in May. Stille says she’s had a front row seat, claiming her neighbor’s farmland was put up for auction this year. “Is this the beginning of what is to come?” her website asked, adding that saving family farms will be her “top priority.”
Opposition to GOP austerity measures may also come into focus. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) latest cost estimate shows that the OBBB would reduce federal Medicaid spending over a decade by an estimated $911 billion and increase the number of uninsured people by 10 million. Before the package was enacted in early July, The Community Hospital in McCook announced it will wind down services and close the Curtis Medical Center in Curtis in the next several months. Other Nebraska hospitals say they fear a similar outcome. Roughly 121,000 people in Nebraska’s 3rd District are Medicaid enrollees, nearly half of those being children.
Stille says she’ll advocate to improve health care access by funding rural hospitals, lower prescription drug costs, and support the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
While moderate, Stille’s stance on immigration will contrast with the race’s other newcomer, Huebner. Her website calls support for border security “essential,” but strikes a balance saying “While we reinforce these boundaries, we must remember that our nation has been, and always will be, a beacon of hope for all.”
Issues surrounding labor will likely be her other major campaign pillar.
“Labor unions guarantee that hardworking Americans receive fair wages, safe and humane working conditions, and proper representation in business deliberations,” her website says. “I’ll be a champion for Davis-Bacon prevailing wages and Project Labor Agreements, because when the labor and business work together we get a better end product.”
On other issues, Stille says she supports more funding for public schools, opposes book bans which “rewrite history to suit certain people,” supports reproductive rights, and believes in the need for legislation which protects animals from poaching, illegal trafficking, and environmental endangerment.
“I want to be your voice in Washington,” Stille’s website says. “I will not avoid the tough questions. I will be open, honest, and I will not hide behind someone else’s mission.”
Rep. Smith has handily held on to his seat for nearly 20 years. On the 2024 ballot, Smith retained his seat with about 80% of the vote in District 3, while Democratic challenger Daniel Ebers received just under 20%—or about 60,000 votes. But Nebraska Dems pointed out that Ebers outpaced 2020 Democratic Candidate Mark Elworth, who gained about 50,000 votes.
“The Nebraska Democratic Party and our county parties are organizing at coffee shops, co-ops, and county fairs to reach this community and build local leadership from the ground up. And we’re showing voters across western and central Nebraska that they haven’t been forgotten,” said Griffin in Stille’s campaign email.
Whether Stille’s campaign can cut through in a deep-red stronghold remains to be seen. On Friday, she announced on social media that her first public town hall is scheduled, and more details will be released soon.
For more information on Stille’s campaign, visit beckystille2026.com.