District details

Butler has been the Omaha city clerk since 2017. She was elected to the Papillion La Vista School Board in 2024 and, in 2025, became a member of the Sanitary Improvement District 301 Board of Trustees.

Wolfe is a first-generation graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who founded Midwest Medical Transport Company, according to her campaign website. She previously served as chairwoman on the Columbus Planning and Zoning Board.

Neither candidate has endorsements indicated on their campaign websites. 

On the issues

Butler said she is running because of a passion for education and universities in Nebraska. If elected, she said she would make education affordable, attainable and high quality while fostering relationships with donors and communities. Wolfe said she is running because NU needs strong leadership as the bedrock of the state’s future.

Concerning her experience in higher education, Wolfe said her company developed a paramedic training program for its employees. Butler’s experience in higher education lies in her experience as a student, she said, having earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Her professional career has focused on public service, she said, with appointments to the Papillion La Vista School Board and her SID’s board of trustees. 

If elected, Butler said she would work to limit tuition increases and push for clear explanations of how tuition is being used. She would focus on increasing enrollment and retention rates, which, she said, would increase revenues. The university needs to focus on a sustainable budget plan, Wolfe said. She said administrative costs need to be streamlined, student recruitment and retention should be prioritized and NU should partner with Nebraska corporations to support its budget.

The current climate at the university is one of impending change, Wolfe said, and there should be assurance that the university is on a path to success. Butler said the university’s climate is strained and she would work with other regents to create solutions while planning long-term to avoid budget cuts and program eliminations.

Butler sees the benefits of the Nebraska Medicine deal between NU and Clarkson Regional Health Services, she said, but she also has reservations. If elected, she said she would work on the Board of Regents to ensure good patient care and mindfulness of the financial undertaking of NU. The deal will strengthen academic alignment and modernize UNMC, Wolfe said.

Concerning academic freedom, Wolfe said that staff should receive formal training addressing academic freedom during onboarding. She said syllabi should communicate to students how to respectfully disagree. Everyone should feel welcome at any NU campus, Butler said. She said the Board of Regents should work to preserve free speech and protect academic freedom. 

Butler said each university serves its community in its own way, and a one-size-fits-all approach, or establishing a single brand across campuses, may not be feasible in all cases. Wolfe did not answer the question about campus alignment in her responses.