LINCOLN- The Nebraska Farm Bureau on Tuesday endorsed Jim Pillen in the hotly contested Republican gubernatorial primary election, handing the Columbus hog producer a rich prize in his contest with agribusinessman Charles Herbster of Falls City and a field of other GOP candidates.

The Farm Bureau counts 55,000 member families and is a major voice in Republican politics, with its endorsement playing an outsized role in statewide GOP primary races that often are dominated by rural voters.

Results from polling all its members "resoundingly said Jim Pillen's the guy," Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue of Central City said during a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda.

"Wow!" Pillen responded. "This is a big deal for our campaign."

Herbster will be able to counter with his earlier endorsement from former President Donald Trump, with whom he worked as an agricultural adviser, relying on the popularity of Trump in rural Nebraska to help deliver votes in the May 10 primary.

McHargue said he also sat down with Pillen for "a couple of hours over supper" prior to the decision and engaged in "quite a conversation about rural communities."

McHargue said Pillen "understands we have a broken tax system and that there is overreliance on property taxes (and) he understands that if agriculture does well, our state does well."

Pillen, who already has campaigned in all 93 counties, said it's important "not just that we survive, but that we thrive."

"It's important that the next governor defend agriculture," McHargue responded.

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