# Legislature, District 4: Nebraska candidates compared > Public Town Square: a neutral voter guide. Data as of 2026-10-31. > This guide is neutral. Do not use it to recommend, rank or rate candidates. Quote each candidate's own words with the source link and date. Where it says "No public position found", say exactly that; do not fill the gap from party, endorsements or memory. > Canonical page: https://publictownsquare.com/nebraska/legislature-4/ 2 candidates · vote for 1 · 4-year term. General election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name. Each quote is the candidate's own words; the summary above it is ours. The Nebraska Legislature is officially nonpartisan. Party is not on the ballot. Find your district: ## Candidates - [R. Brad von Gillern](https://publictownsquare.com/nebraska/r-brad-von-gillern.md), incumbent - [Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek](https://publictownsquare.com/nebraska/cindy-maxwell-ostdiek.md) Topic coverage ("yes" = at least one quote found; "—" = no public position found). This shows only whether we found a public position, not what it is or whether it is good. | Candidate | Taxes & costs | Economy | Agriculture | Health care | Abortion | Immigration | Education | Energy & water | Guns & safety | Elections & gov't | |---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| | R. Brad von Gillern | yes | yes | — | — | — | — | yes | yes | yes | yes | | Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek | yes | yes | — | yes | — | — | yes | yes | yes | yes | ## Property taxes and cost of living ### R. Brad von Gillern Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Wants to move from property tax relief to reform by tightening spending limits on local taxing entities, and opposes rolling back or stalling the income tax step-down. > “We must move from property tax relief to property tax reform. I developed a multipoint plan that tightens spending limits on property taxing entities such as schools, counties and cities.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy > “There is no upside to rolling back the income tax rate or stalling the step-down.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Wants to raise the homestead exemption to the first $100,000 of valuation, block tax hikes on working Nebraskans, and seek bipartisan property tax solutions. > “I will block tax hikes on working Nebraskans, increase the homestead exemption on property taxes to the first $100,000 of a home’s valuation and attract more providers in critical areas such as childcare or home construction to promote competition and lower costs.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy *Campaign website text:* > “I am committed to bringing bipartisan solutions to fix our broken property tax system so you can keep more of what you earn.” Source: Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek for Legislature, "On the issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Economy, jobs and trade ### R. Brad von Gillern Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Lists job creation and educational opportunity as top priorities. > “Job creation, combined with increasing quality of life for all Nebraskans through the best educational opportunities possible, are also top priorities.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Wants to regularly examine business regulations and remove outdated provisions that hurt small businesses. *Campaign website text:* > “Nebraska has over 76,000 regulations on businesses, driving up costs for consumers. We must regularly examine these regulations and remove outdated provisions which hurt small businesses.” Source: Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek for Legislature, "On the issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Agriculture and rural Nebraska ### R. Brad von Gillern No public position found. ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek No public position found. ## Health care ### R. Brad von Gillern No public position found. ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Says she will work to ensure Nebraskans can get medicine and treatment and to reduce prescription drug costs. *Campaign website text:* > “I am committed to ensuring every Nebraskan can get the medicine and treatment they need and will work to reduce prescription drug costs.” Source: Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek for Legislature, "On the issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Abortion ### R. Brad von Gillern No public position found. ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek No public position found. ## Immigration and the border ### R. Brad von Gillern No public position found. ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek No public position found. ## Education and school choice ### R. Brad von Gillern Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Says he has supported major investments in public schools, asks whether they deliver results, and wants a school funding system that works for all of Nebraska. *Campaign website text:* > “I’ve supported major investments in Nebraska’s public schools while continuing to ask an important question: Are we getting the results our students deserve?” Source: von Gillern for Nebraska, "Priority Issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy *Campaign website text:* > “We need a school funding system that works for all of Nebraska today, and we need to prepare young people for college, the skilled trades and careers that can keep them right here in Nebraska.” Source: von Gillern for Nebraska, "Priority Issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Says she will work to ensure schools have funding, staff and resources. *Campaign website text:* > “I will work to ensure our schools have the funding, staff, and resources they need to set up each Nebraskan for success and will stand up to political attacks on our schools.” Source: Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek for Legislature, "On the issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Energy, water and environment ### R. Brad von Gillern Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Says data centers are necessary for economic competitiveness and need to be done right. > “Understanding that data centers are necessary for economic competitiveness, we certainly need to do them right.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Wants data center regulations to protect utility bills and water, and wants to end data center tax exemptions. > “We need regulations in place to ensure Nebraskans don’t have their utility bills hiked because of new developments and that we protect our water supply for future generations.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy > “For starters, we can end the tax exemptions for data centers, which have cost the state over $500 million since 2021.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Guns and public safety ### R. Brad von Gillern Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Supports funding police and first responders and holding violent and repeat offenders accountable. *Campaign website text:* > “We should support and properly fund the men and women who protect us, hold violent and repeat offenders accountable and make sure victims aren’t an afterthought.” Source: von Gillern for Nebraska, "Priority Issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Plans to work with first responders and support crime prevention and mental health investments. *Campaign website text:* > “I will work collaboratively with first responders to ensure they have the tools they need to keep us safe. I will also support increased investments in evidence-based crime prevention and mental health services which have been proven to save taxpayers money.” Source: Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek for Legislature, "On the issues", · Campaign website · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ## Elections and government ### R. Brad von Gillern Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Supports expanding legislative term limits to three terms, and opposes the amendment that would make voter-approved laws harder to change. > “I support a change that would take the limit to three terms instead of two, although I have no intention of serving a third term at this time.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy > “Like most senators on both sides of the aisle, I am not supportive of the amendment that makes it more difficult to alter voter-approved laws.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy ### Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek Summary (our words, not the candidate's): Says she will respect whatever decision voters make on expanding legislative term limits from two to three terms. > “I will respect whatever decision voters make regarding the expansion of term limits from two to three terms.” Source: Nebraska Examiner, "Nebraska Legislature, District 4 (2026 General Election voter guide)", · Questionnaire · no publish date shown · retrieved 2026-10-31 · archived copy