District details

Johnson, a Democrat, is an audiologist at Active Hearing Health. She currently serves as the District 1 representative for the Douglas/Sarpy County Learning Community Coordinating Council. She previously served as the president of the Nebraska Speech Language and Hearing Association and led the legislative committee for many years, according to her campaign website.

Rens, a Republican, is a business consultant, coach and leadership strategist for individuals and organizations. She served as president and owner of a concrete construction company that partnered with state, municipal and private clients for over 30 years. Rens serves on the Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter Board and the University of Nebraska Medical Center Board of Counselors, according to her campaign website.

Johnson is endorsed by Campaign for a Healthy Nebraska, Nebraska Young Democrats, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska, the Sierra Club and Women Who Run.

Rens is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, State Sens. Kathleen Kauth and Bob Andersen, State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg, Attorney General Mike Hilgers and more. See all of her endorsers on her campaign website.

On the issues

Johnson said she is running because she has seen her neighbors, friends and family across the state struggle with rising costs and a lack of affordable services. She said she wants to bring these issues under control and use the state’s resources to fix gaps in services. Rens said she is running to preserve Nebraska’s status as a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire, and to address challenges facing its communities.

Rens said property taxes are the district’s top issue. She said Nebraska’s tax system needs to be modernized, and she would work to develop long-term solutions for meaningful property tax relief. Johnson said the district’s biggest challenge is rising costs. She said she would fight to make goods, health insurance and utility bills affordable and expand revenue-generating projects like renewable energy across Nebraska.

Johnson said she does not support Gov. Jim Pillen’s call for increased sales tax revenue to offset property tax relief. She said the shift would be regressive, would not provide financial relief for the middle class and would drive business out of the state. Rens said Nebraska’s tax system should be modernized through a balanced approach that provides property tax relief while maintaining a competitive economy. She said she would evaluate each proposal on its overall impact rather than support any single approach in advance.

Rens said elected officials should respect the intent of Nebraska voters on voter-approved ballot measures. She said necessary changes to them because of legal, constitutional or implementation concerns should be transparent, narrow and made after public discussion. Johnson said the measures were the clearest declaration of what Nebraskans wanted, and the Legislature’s alterations were a “brazen subversion” of the will of the voters.

Johnson said lawmakers should not stifle innovation and job creation, but people should have the last say over data center development in their neighborhoods. She said the Legislature should be proactive in implementing safeguards to ensure utility rates stay affordable and communities are safe. Rens said data center growth must be planned responsibly, with meaningful input from local communities. She said lawmakers should balance responsible economic development with the protection of natural resources.

Rens said long-term financial stability requires disciplined budgeting, setting priorities, controlling costs and planning ahead. She said lawmakers should reduce the budget deficit by improving government efficiency, encouraging economic growth and handling tax dollars responsibly. Johnson said the governor’s proposal to tap cash reserves, and the Legislature’s approval of it, was a bad move. She said she would improve Nebraska’s financial reserves, attract more workers to Nebraska through incentives for small businesses/entrepreneurs and encourage residents to support local businesses. 

Johnson said the state has focused too much on social issues, which distract from and restrict Nebraska’s growth, expansion and ability to combat brain drain. She said she would focus on improving affordable housing accessibility, healthcare, childcare and high-quality schools. Rens said Nebraska retains talent when people see opportunities here. She said the state needs to support business growth, entrepreneurship and workforce development to help graduates build their futures here.