ANR profiles to focus on local candidates

Who are you going to vote for in the 2026 primary?
If that question hasn’t quite risen to the top of your to-do list yet, you’re not alone. This year’s ballot may not feature the kind of high-profile races that dominate headlines, but the choices voters make will still carry real weight here at home. Even with a sample ballot published previously as well as in this week’s ANR, many registered voters may still be sorting through who, and what, they’ll see at the ballot box on May 12, or earlier if they opt to vote by mail.
That’s where the ANR hopes to help.
In the weeks ahead, our news team will roll out a series of candidate profiles focused on contested local races. Each candidate will be asked to respond to the same set of questions, offering readers a chance to compare backgrounds, motivations, priorities and perspectives, side by side, in their own words.
Among the races drawing attention, the District 34 state senate seat is contested, with Republican candidates Arron Kowalski of Grand Island and Ben Blodgett of Central City seeking to unseat incumbent Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City.
At the county level, three Hamilton County commissioner races will be decided in the primary. Those matchups include Nicole SaBell and challenger Matt Snoberger in District 1; Richard Nelson and challengers Christopher Slocum and Andrew Holtorf in District 2; and Francis McDonald and challenger Allan Coats in District 5.
Local races may not always come with the flash of national politics, but they shape the roads we drive, the services we rely on and the direction of our communities.
We’ll aim to make getting informed a little easier, so when it’s time to vote, the choice feels a little clearer.
Watch for ANR’s primary preview coverage in the April 22 edition.
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net