| Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party | |
| Abbreviation: | LMN |
| Chairperson: | Mark Elworth |
| Headquarters: | Omaha |
| Colors: | Green |
| Seats1 Title: | Seats in the U.S. Senate |
| Seats2 Title: | Seats in the U.S. House |
| Seats3 Title: | Statewide Executive Offices |
| Seats4 Title: | Nebraska Supreme Court seats |
| National: | Legal Marijuana Now |
| State: | Nebraska |
| Country: | United States |
Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW is a political third party in the U.S. state of Nebraska established in 2016 as the state affiliate of the Legal Marijuana Now Party.
In 2022, Legal Marijuana NOW Party ran more candidates for Nebraska statewide offices than the Democratic Party recruited. Their nominee for Attorney General, Larry Bolinger, got 188,648 votes, more than 30 percent, the highest percentage for a statewide Nebraska candidate running outside the two major parties in 86 years, when independent George Norris was reelected to U.S. Senate.
In 2016, the Nebraska Marijuana Party petitioned to be recognized as a major political party. To make the ballot, Nebraska Marijuana Party needed valid signatures equal to at least one-percent of the total votes cast for governor in 2014, or 5,397 signatures statewide.[1] In July, 2016, volunteers turned in 9,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State. However, the Secretary of State said that half of the signatures were invalid, falling short of the 5,397 needed.[2]
After failing to make it onto Nebraska ballots in 2016, the organization began circulating petitions for 2020 ballot access for a Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party in September, 2016.[3] The party planned to collect 15,000 signatures for their second attempt at gaining ballot access.[4] [5] [6]
Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party leaders submitted their petition to the Secretary of State Bob Evnen on September 18, 2020. The party needed to collect the signatures of 6,800 registered Nebraska voters in order to qualify as an official state party. According to Elworth, they turned in 15,000 signatures, just to be safe.[7] [8]
Evnen initially told petition drive organizers, Elworth and Krystal Gabel, on January 7, 2021, that the Legal Marijuana NOW Party petition was short by 28 signatures from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, which includes Omaha.[9]
On April 21, 2021, after the Secretary of State reviewed some petition signatures that were challenged, Legal Marijuana NOW gained official recognition as a state political party in Nebraska, earning the party ballot access for their candidates, and allowing Legal Marijuana NOW Party to register voters.[10] Gabel, the national Legal Marijuana Now Party chairperson, told a reporter for the Star-Herald that the party is running several candidates in Nebraska at multiple levels of government, from United States Congress to local sheriffs.[11]
In 2022, Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party ran more candidates, two, for statewide offices than the Nebraska Democratic Party recruited, one. The Libertarian Party also found more candidates, three. Only the Republican Party had candidates in all five Nebraska constitutional races in 2022.[12]
Larry Bolinger was nominated by Legal Marijuana NOW to run for Nebraska Attorney General in 2022. Bolinger, a resident of Alliance, Nebraska, focused on legalization of marijuana and expanding drug courts in the race to unseat Doug Peterson, who was seeking his third term as attorney general.[13] [14]
During a radio interview on February 14, 2022, Bolinger, who previously had run for the Alliance Planning Commission, said “The way the Republican and Democratic parties have been treating each other over the past several years, they’re just full of hate and vinegar. And it’s kind of disgusting. I decided to go with this new party and just support the system how it’s supposed to be. We’re supposed to work together to make things right for the people.”[15]
Bolinger received 188,648 votes, 30.27%, in the 2022 Attorney General race, an office for which there was no Democratic Party nominee, the highest percentage for a statewide Nebraska candidate running outside the two major parties in 86 years, when independent George W. Norris was reelected to U.S. Senate.[16] Bolinger was one of the top three third party vote-getters, in the US.[17]
Leroy Lopez III, a Wilber bowling alley proprietor, ran for Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts, in 2022. Lopez got 120,986 votes, finishing second in the three-way race.[18]
No LMNP presidential candidates were recognized for the 2024 Nebraska primaries by Secretary of State Evnen, despite the party being ballot qualified in two states, Minnesota, and Nebraska.[19]
Nebraska LMNP held a primary on May 14, 2024, between Kerry Eddy of Lincoln, and Kenneth Peterson of Beatrice in the race for U.S. Senate. The winner, Eddy, will face incumbent Republican Deb Fischer on November 5.[20]
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular votes | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Larry Bolinger | 188,648 | 30.27% | ||
| 2022 | Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts | L. Leroy Lopez | 120,986 | 19.32% |