District details

Maxwell-Ostdiek, a nonpartisan, runs a small insurance and financial services business with her husband. She is the president of Better Ballots Nebraska, on the board of Nonpartisan Nebraska, and volunteers with organizations like the Food Bank for the Heartland, according to her campaign website.

Nebraskans elected von Gillern, a Republican, to the Legislature in 2022. He is the past president and CEO of Lueder Construction.

Maxwell-Ostdiek is endorsed by the Nebraska State AFL-CIO, according to her Facebook page, along with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska, the Sierra Club, the Nebraska Young Democrats, and Women Who Run.

On the issues

Maxwell-Ostdiek said she is running to ensure Nebraska is a place where the next generation wants to live when they grow up. She said District 4 deserves a representative who will listen to their neighbors and deliver on issues everyone cares about. Von Gillern said he is running again to offer his time and talents to serving a public office and because he feels there is more work to do to make the lives of Nebraskans better.

Von Gillern said the top issue of the district is affordability. He said Nebraska needs well-paying jobs, income tax reductions and multiple forms of property tax relief. Maxwell-Ostdiek said the top issue is rising costs and property taxes. She said lawmakers attempted to raise sales taxes, removed property tax relief in 2024 and gutted voter-approved ballot measures as a response, and, if elected, she would oppose policies such as those.

Maxwell-Ostdiek said sweeping tax shifts, such as increasing sales tax revenue to offset property tax relief, are the wrong move, though targeted sales tax exemptions make sense. She said eliminated exemptions should be examined and Nebraska should grow its tax base. Von Gillern said increasing sales taxes to make up for property tax relief has been successful in other states, but efforts to do so here failed due to confusing messaging and lobbying efforts to preserve tax exemptions.

Von Gillern said it is rare for any bill passed to not be modified some due to unforeseen outcomes of unintended consequences. He said changes made to voter-approved ballot measures is not an indication lawmakers seek to override the will of voters. Maxwell-Ostdiek said voters passed initiatives like earned paid sick leave and increased wages before lawmakers, such as her opponent, gutted, obstructed or overturned them. She said she would always respect the decisions of voters, even if she personally disagrees with them.

Maxwell-Ostdiek said Nebraska needs to remain economically competitive while protecting the water supply and keeping public power rates low. She said there should be regulations in place to prevent hiked utility bills and to protect the water supply. Von Gillern said the challenges data centers present are real, but also quantifiable and predictable. He said lawmakers should ensure consumers aren’t picking up the bill for building data centers and protecting water.

Von Gillern said Nebraskans shouldn’t have to sacrifice tax cuts to pay for government spending. He said raising taxes to solve budget problems is not the answer. Maxwell-Ostdiek said the deficit is self-imposed through lawmakers’ wasteful spending on no-bid contracts, tax handouts to special interests and an unwillingness to explore new revenue streams. She said that if elected, she would cut wasteful spending and fight for a fair tax system.

Maxwell-Ostdiek said Nebraska needs to invest in things young professionals want as they build their lives, like affordable housing, well-paying jobs and advancement opportunities. She said lawmakers shouldn’t be focusing on “culture wars” or overturning ballot measures. Von Gillern said Nebraska should be deploying resources to integrate students in the university system into local businesses and culture.