Brian Maher, the current commissioner for the Nebraska Department of Education, ended his campaign for University of Nebraska Board of Regents, citing “personal and professional obligations.”
He was campaigning for the District 1 seat representing Lincoln and much of northern Lancaster county. In a news release, Maher said it isn’t the right time for him to run for elected office.
“I am not a politician – I’m a lifelong educator who wants to make a difference,” he said in the release. “The simple reality is that I underestimated the amount of time and attention running a campaign would take.”
Maher further said he wanted to refocus his time on his family along with his role as education commissioner and chair of the newly formed School Financing Review Commission.
“I think the biggest thing is I remain committed to the kids and families in Nebraska,” Maher said in an interview with Nebraska Public Media News on Thursday. “It’s truly an honor to be the commissioner of education, and I’ll continue to do just that.”
Maher has been commissioner since 2023. Along with leading the School Financing Review Commission, he introduced a long-term plan to improve literacy in schools across the state, which he said he will continue to focus on as commissioner.
“I think we’re well on our way to turning around our literacy proficiency rates, and that might take another couple of years,” Maher said.
Brent Comstock, CEO of Lincoln-based marketing firm BCom, announced he would campaign for the District 1 seat in early June. Current regent Tim Clare told the Lincoln Journal Star earlier this year he wasn’t going to run for reelection.
By way of full disclosure, Brian Maher is a commissioner on Nebraska Public Media’s governing board, the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission.