‘Not an old man’s game’: Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner won’t run for reelection

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner announced his retirement Wednesday after more than three decades with the agency.

At a press conference, Wagner — who was elected sheriff in 1994 — said he would not be running for reelection in 2026.

“My wife and I have really wanted to do some more traveling, more relaxing, spend some more time with our four grandsons,” he said. “Law enforcement’s not an old man’s game, and I’m getting to be an old man. It’s time now to take care of myself a bit, take care of my family and turn the reins over to somebody else.”

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Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, who has served alongside Wagner for 32 years, will be running to take his place.

“I’m pleased to have Ben step up and throw his name in the hat to run for Lancaster County sheriff,” Wagner said.

Houchin has received numerous endorsements from other officials, including Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly and Attorney General Mike Hilgers.

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He said his top priority is serving the people and keeping the county safe.

“My No. 1 job here is to make Lancaster County a great place to work, live and play,” he said. “If you don’t have those, people aren’t going to come. I feel like we have been doing that, I’ve been doing this for 32 years. We’ve done a great job of that, and I’m excited to keep this going.”

Houchin started his career with the sheriff’s office in 1993.

Two years later, he was selected for the agency’s tactical response unit, eventually becoming team leader and commander.

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Houchin was promoted to chief deputy in 2020.

In 2021, he graduated from the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar.

He said he would be honored to have the opportunity to continue helping the people of Lancaster County.

“I do want to make sure that everybody knows that as sheriff, I’ll be the sheriff for all the people,” he said. “Every victim matters. We will make sure that we give it our all for everybody in the city and throughout the county.”

No other candidates have announced a run for sheriff.

The primary will be on May 12.