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Bob Evnen

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Bob Evnen
Evnen in 2018
27th Secretary of State of Nebraska
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2019
GovernorPete Ricketts
Jim Pillen
Preceded byJohn A. Gale
Personal details
BornRobert Barnett Evnen[1]
(1952-09-29) September 29, 1952 (age 73)[citation needed]
Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.[citation needed]
PartyRepublican
EducationMichigan State University (BA)
University of Southern California (JD)

Robert Barnett Evnen (born 1952) is an American attorney and Republican politician in the state of Nebraska. He is the 27th Secretary of State of Nebraska, serving since 2019.[2]

Evnen was first elected Secretary of State in 2018, and re-elected in 2022 after winning the Republican primary with 40.89% of the vote. He ran for a third term in 2026, losing the Republican primary to Scott Petersen with 45.36% of the vote.

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Evnen graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in social science in 1974 and from the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1977.[3] He was a partner at the Lincoln, Nebraska law firm Woods & Aitken, LLP for 32 years, where he practiced labor and employment law.[2][4] He is licensed to practice law in Nebraska, Iowa, and California (inactive).[5][1]

Political career

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Evnen served as a member of the State Board of Education,[2] following his appointment by Governor Dave Heineman in 2005 and he was elected to a full term in 2008.[6] He also served as general counsel to the Nebraska Republican Party and as campaign treasurer for U.S. Senator Deb Fischer.[7]

In the 2018 elections, Evnen ran for Secretary of State of Nebraska.[6] He won the election, defeating Spencer Danner, the Democratic Party nominee,[8] and was sworn into office on January 10, 2019.[9] Evnen supported Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson's decision to sign on to a lawsuit contesting the 2020 United States presidential election.[10] Evnen's office later investigated allegations of voter fraud, saying that they "haven't found any validity or merit" to them.[11]

Evnen ran for a second term in the 2022 election.[12] He won the Republican primary with 40% of the vote, defeating two candidates who had endorsed President Donald Trump's false allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election,[13] and won the general election unopposed.[14]

Evnen ran for a third term in the 2026 election. He faced a primary challenge from Scott Petersen, an Omaha businessman,[15] and Petersen defeated Evnen for the nomination.[16]

Electoral history

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2018

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Republican primary results[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Evnen 81,371 58.48%
Republican Debra Perrell 57,816 41.52%
Total votes 139,187 100.00%
2018 Nebraska Secretary of State general election results
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bob Evnen 406,632 60.64% −14.55%
Democratic Spencer Danner 263,982 39.36% —
Majority 142,650 21.27% −29.11%
Turnout 670,614
Republican hold

2022

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Republican primary results by county
  Evnen
  •   30–40%
      40–50%
      50–60%
  Borer
  •   30–40%
      40–50%
      50–60%
  Schroder
  •   30–40%
      40–50%
Republican primary results[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Evnen (inc.) 98,263 40.89
Republican Robert J. Borer 72,150 30.02
Republican Rex Schroder 53,628 22.29
Total votes 224,041 100.00
2022 Nebraska Secretary of State election[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Evnen (inc.) 500,342 100.00%
Total votes 500,342 100.00%
Republican hold

2026

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County results
  Petersen
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Evnen
  •   50–60%
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Scott Petersen 97,399 54.64
Republican Bob Evnen (incumbent) 80,844 45.36
Total votes 178,243 100.00

References

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  1. 1 2 "Robert Barnett Evnen #76351 - Attorney Licensee Search". members.calbar.ca.gov.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen". State of Nebraska. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Evnen, Perrell face off in Secretary of State race | Election2018". Star Herald. starherald.com. May 9, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Robert B. Evnen - Of Counsel". Woods Aitken. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Robert B. Evnen". Nebraska State Bar. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Duggan, Joe (April 18, 2017). "Lincoln attorney Bob Evnen to run for Nebraska secretary of state, says he'd push for voter ID law | Nebraska". Omaha World-Herald. omaha.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  7. ↑ Walton, Don (April 14, 2017). "Evnen ready to enter race for secretary of state | Regional Government". Lincoln Journal Star. journalstar.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  8. ↑ Liewer, Steve (November 6, 2018). "Bob Evnen elected Nebraska secretary of state | Elections". Omaha World-Herald. omaha.com. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  9. ↑ "New Secretary of State sworn in". www.1011now.com (Press release). KOLN. January 10, 2019.
  10. ↑ Walton, Don (December 9, 2020). "Nebraska joins lawsuit challenging presidential electoral process". Lincoln Journal Star. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  11. ↑ Hammel, Paul (May 6, 2022). "Evnen faces two challengers in GOP primary for Nebraska Secretary of State". Nebraska Examiner. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  12. ↑ Peteren, Ron (April 20, 2022). "Three vie for secretary of state". Norfolk Daily News.
  13. ↑ "Evnen fends off two challengers to win GOP primary for secretary of state".
  14. ↑ Humphries, Jon. "Republicans win lopsided races statewide". The Norfolk Daily News. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  15. ↑ Salinas II, Juan. "Scott Petersen challenges Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen from right". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  16. ↑ Mueller, Julia (May 12, 2026). "Nebraska secretary of state loses GOP primary". The Hill. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  17. ↑ Gale, John A. (2018). Official Report of the Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Primary Election, May 15, 2018 (PDF).
  18. ↑ Robert B. Evnen. Official Report of the Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Primary Election, May 10, 2022 (PDF).
  19. ↑ Robert B. Evnen. Official Report of the Nebraska Board of Canvassers, General Election, November 8, 2022 (PDF).
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