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Children, veterans, taxes motivate GOP Gubernatorial challenger
It would take a considerable amount of courage for a seasoned politician with statewide name recognition and a substantial war chest to challenge a sitting governor, but Sheila Korth-Focken has none of those advantages, yet she is running for the Republican nomination for Governor of the State of Nebraska.
When asked why she decided to enter the race, Korth-Focken said her campaign is rooted in a desire to protect Nebraskans—particularly children, veterans and military families—and to address what she views as serious shortcomings in the current administration’s handling of child safety and school environments.
Children
Korth-Focken said concern for the well-being of children in Nebraska schools is one of the central motivations behind her campaign. She pointed to what she believes are serious failures in oversight and accountability, leveling serious allegations toward a school district, where she says, “They are spending our tax dollars on allowing child molesters to teach after-school clubs.” She then adds, “Like, literally, just last week.”
Experiences such as that, she said, convinced her that the state must take a stronger role in ensuring that children are protected and that schools maintain safe environments for students.
She also criticized the state’s Child Protective Services system, arguing that when the agency fails to intervene appropriately, the consequences often appear in classrooms through behavioral issues that teachers are left to manage. Korth-Focken said she is also troubled by what she sees as excessive reliance on screens and iPads in schools, noting that her own children report using them before school, during class, at recess and after school. As governor, she said she would seek to address the root causes of those problems and refocus schools on basic learning so teachers can spend more time teaching and less time managing behavior and technology use.
She said children in Nebraska “are not in a good position right now” and believes the state must change course to better protect them and improve the learning environment. Korth-Focken concluded, “When I’m Governor, I’ll be getting to the root of issues and ensuring that our schools are focused on learning instead of a lot of other stuff that they’re spending money on right now.”
Veterans
Korth-Focken also said supporting veterans and military families would be a priority of her administration. Although she is not a veteran herself, she noted that her husband served two tours in Iraq, which she said has given her a close view of the challenges facing service members and their families. She strongly opposes a proposal by the current governor to take money away from veterans’ aid funding, arguing that support for veterans should extend beyond what she described as pro-veteran messaging “on paper” or in photographs.
Instead, she said the state should focus on ensuring veterans have easier access to medical care without excessive bureaucracy, receive proper care in nursing homes and that families have stronger support systems while service members are deployed. Korth-Focken said, “I would actually support our veterans and help ensure that they have what they need when I’m governor.”
Taxes
Korth-Focken said tax relief would be another priority of her campaign, pointing to what she described as a multi-part plan to reduce property, income and sales taxes in Nebraska. She said the approach begins with reducing government waste, noting that she believes more than $2 billion in potential savings could be identified in the state budget without cutting essential services or eliminating large numbers of staff positions.
As examples, she pointed to contracts for seemingly extraneous projects. “You know, we’re spending money on things like embroidery and photography contracts with people in Pennsylvania. You know, there’s money that’s going out of state that, at a minimum, could stay here in Nebraska.”
Under her approach, she said the state should first eliminate unnecessary spending and inefficiencies, then evaluate whether additional revenue adjustments are needed to maintain core services such as fire and rescue operations and road maintenance. Korth-Focken also said she would seek to simplify Nebraska’s tax code by eliminating many existing tax breaks and credits, arguing that the current system “picks winners and losers” and makes taxes unnecessarily complicated. Her goal, she said, would be a simpler system in which most residents could file their taxes without needing professional assistance while still providing broad-based tax relief.
Personal
Korth-Focken lives in Long Pine, Nebraska, and is the mother of three children, including a baby at home. Her husband is a veteran, and her family’s connections to national security have shaped her outlook. A former husband worked for the U.S. Department of Defense on Iran-related matters.
While she told the Gazette that she is not certain she has visited McCook, she noted some familiarity with southwest Nebraska through friends in Trenton and travels through the area to Northwestern Kansas. She has also spent time living in Omaha, where some of the school-related experiences she referenced during the interview took place.
Politics
Professionally, Korth-Focken said she has more than two decades of experience working in politics and public policy. She previously worked in Washington, D.C., as a staff member for former Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, where her work included issues related to the federal farm bill, energy policy, and tax and budget policy. Much of that experience was at the federal level, she said, though it often intersected with state programs and policies.
Korth-Focken also acknowledges that she enters the race as an unconventional candidate. Unlike many statewide contenders, she does not currently hold elected office and lacks the financial backing and statewide political network typically associated with gubernatorial campaigns. Instead, she describes her campaign as a policy-driven effort built on her background in government work and her belief that voters are looking for someone willing to challenge the political status quo.
She does not view herself as a career politician and has stated that, if elected, she would serve only one term as governor before stepping aside. Korth-Focken frames that approach as a way to focus on a limited set of priorities rather than building a long-term political career. She also emphasizes what she calls a “people-first” policy style, saying she prefers to consult directly with those most affected by proposed policies—such as farmers, local communities and families—rather than relying solely on political institutions or party leadership when shaping policy ideas.
In discussing her motivation for running, Korth-Focken drew a sharp contrast between her approach and that of the current governor, Jim Pillen. She said she has attempted to raise concerns with the governor about child safety and school issues, but believes those concerns have not been taken seriously. More broadly, she argued that state leadership has become too distant from ordinary Nebraskans, saying she believes many residents feel they are unable to get meetings with decision-makers or have their concerns addressed.
Her example of that disconnection may also fuel her motivation to run when when she says, “I’ve personally reached out to Jim pillen on some of these issues related to schools and children, and I asked to meet with him, he refused to meet with me, and he’s refused to do anything about some really horrific and severe issues that are going on in our schools right now.”
Korth-Focken said her campaign is built around the idea that government should be more responsive to the people it serves. If elected, she said she would make a point of meeting directly with constituents and those affected by state policies before making decisions. She also emphasized that her campaign is not focused on major fundraising efforts, saying she has seen how money can shape political priorities and wants her candidacy to center on what she described as the everyday concerns of Nebraska families rather than the interests of donors.
Underlining the unique nature of her campaign, Korth-Focken says, “I’m actually not raising any money... I could raise money if I wanted to, but I chose not to, and I’m actually glad that I made that decision.”