By Jackie Ourada 
, Managing editor Nebraska Public Media
Jan. 20, 2026, 5 p.m. ·
A Scotts Bluff County man has announced his intention to run for Nebraska’s open U.S. Senate seat in this year’s midterm elections.
Earl Starkey said he will be running as a candidate under the Legal Marijuana NOW Party, which was formally recognized in 2021 as an official political party in Nebraska. In his announcement made earlier this month, Starkey criticized state and federal officials for blocking marijuana reform despite recent voter approval.
“A majority of Nebraskans voted for medical marijuana in 2024, and politicians are still blocking it,” Starkey said in a news release. “Even the Feds keep teasing it despite the fact that the majority of Americans support marijuana legalization. That’s not representation. That’s corruption, plain and simple.”
In 2024, Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved legalizing medical marijuana. Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Secretary of State Bob Evnen scrutinized the petition effort ahead of the 2024 general election. And even after it was approved by voters, critics of medical marijuana have objected to the ballot measure. The Nebraska Supreme Court is taking a case against the medical marijuana organizers under advisement. There is no set timeline for the court to issue a decision.
Starkey said he will be running on a platform that’s centered on full marijuana decriminalization. He supports federal legalization, criminal justice reform and expungements for individuals convicted of marijuana-related offenses.
He also is advocating for expanded industrial hemp production in Nebraska, including its use in biofuel manufacturing. His support for hemp contrasts with recent moves by the federal government, which is attempting to close the so-called “hemp loophole” that was made in the 2018 Farm Bill.
Starkey is looking to unseat Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who was appointed to the seat in 2023 after Ben Sasse resigned and won a special election to finish out Sasse’s term in 2024. Independent Dan Osborn is also launching a bid for the seat but still needs to successfully petition onto the ballot.
Nebraska’s primary election is May 12. The general election is Nov. 3.
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