Lynne Walz Announces Farmer and Ag Leader, Ben Steffen, as her Running Mate
With under 100 days to go until the General Election on November 3rd, Democratic Candidate for Governor Lynne Walz has named Humboldt Farmer Ben Steffen as her running mate for Lieutenant Governor. This press release was sent by the Walz-Steffen Campaign this morning.
Fremont, NE - Today, Lynne Walz announced her running mate, Ben Steffen at a press
conference at a farm north of Elkhorn.
Walz spoke about what she was looking for in a running mate. “When I was thinking about who
should walk side-by-side with me in the work ahead, I wanted a person who shares a vision for
the future that I see. Someone who also has a deep love for Nebraska and the people who live
here. Someone who is compassionate and understands the challenges and tough decisions that
need to be made. I wanted someone who knows hard-work and has a proven record of serving
others,” said Walz.
Steffen, a farmer and ag leader from Humboldt, is farming the land that has been in his family
for 130 years with his wife, Paula Sue Steffen. His leadership in the agricultural community
includes local and statewide efforts, including as Chair of the Richardson County Farm Bureau,
former President of Ag Builders of Nebraska, as former chairman of Nebraska Association of
County Extension Boards. He has served in leadership roles in his community, chairing the Richardson County Planning Commission, the Richardson County Rural Water Board, District 1, formerly served on his local school board, and is director of his church’s choir at Humboldt United Methodist.
Steffen said he supports Walz’s thoughtful and compassionate approach at leading the state
forward in a new direction. “I want my governor to care enough, feel enough, to be human and
relate to the people who she serves. I want her to know the pains and struggles we face. I want
a governor who knows how hard we work and a governor who treats everyone with respect.”
Steffen cited the challenges for a working farmer, like him, to step into the political arena.
However, he could not say no when he was called to serve.
“Folks, we have big challenges ahead of us. We are dealing with higher groceries, higher gas,
higher rent, you name it. It’s bad. Healthcare, senior care, and day care are getting harder to
come by in our rural communities. The Farm Bureau is projecting that farmers will lose 167
dollars for every acre of corn this year, and we have a lot of corn. Our business growth has
slowed dramatically,” said Steffen. “Our state is broke. That’s hard to admit, but Nebraska is
broke. In four years, we went from a 1.2 billion dollar surplus to a 1 billion dollar deficit that
continues to grow every single month. Pillen continues to promise property tax relief but he
couldn’t bring people together to get it done with a massive surplus.
Everyone knows he can’tbuild a consensus to deliver on property taxes especially when we have a billion dollar budget hole.” Steffen ended by citing Walz’s Commitment to Nebraskans, which the first phase was released
last week. “Lynne Walz is the leader we need now. Our Commitment to Nebraskans is that we
will work together to unify people. To find common sense solutions to the challenges we face.
And to create opportunities for every hard-working person, every business, every farmer to be
successful.”
About Ben Steffen
Throughout his life, Ben Steffen has worked hard to leave his community a better place than he
found it, serving in leadership roles in both his professional and faith communities.
Ben grew up on his parent’s dairy farm near Humboldt in the southeast corner of our state. They
instilled in him the values of hard-work, honesty, personal responsibility, and giving back to
others.
Ben is a proud farmer and business owner (President of Steffen Ag Inc), working alongside his
wife, Paula Sue. In 2022, they made the difficult decision to sell their dairy cows, but he still
farms the same ground that has been in his family for over 130 years.
Ben has made a lasting impact for farmers and ranchers across the state. He served as the
County Chair for Richardson County Farm Bureau where he fought against tax increases for
farmers and for working families. He is a former President of Ag Builders of Nebraska where he
advocated for investments in research and agri-businesses. He testified in front of the United
States Congress at the request of Senator Mike Johanns.
Ben has served as Chairman of the Nebraska Association of County Extension Boards. He’s
worked with the University of Nebraska as a voice to support agriculture, our families, and rural
communities.
In his local community, Ben chairs the Richardson County planning commission. He serves as
President of the Richardson County Rural Water District 1. He led an effort to save his local
nursing home when it was facing severe financial distress. And he has directed the choir at his
church, Humboldt United Methodist for 35 years.
Ben is a graduate of UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, earning honors in a
Bachelor’s of Science degree in Ag Honors. He has been married to Paula Sue Steffen for over
forty years.
Walz-Steffen will be the Democratic Nominee for Governor squaring off against Incumbent Jim Pillen and Lt. Governor Joe Kelly. Rick Beard is the Legal Marijuana Now Candidate while former Republican Brett Lidstrom is making a late push to get on the Nov. 3rd Ballot as an independent.