The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Political Science will host “Perspectives on the 2026 Midterm Elections” at 5 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Sheldon Museum of Art.
The event, part of the Peter J. Hoagland Integrity in Public Service Lecture Series, will bring together experts in political communication, investigative journalism, political consulting and political science to discuss the forces shaping the 2026 elections and the broader political landscape.
This year’s speakers are Jim Crounse, John Hibbing, Ryan Horn and Joe Jordan.
Crounse is a Democratic direct-mail strategist with more than 35 years of experience working on campaigns at every level of government. He led direct-mail efforts for Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and has worked with former President Bill Clinton and numerous other presidential candidates. He also has advised U.S. senators, governors, members of Congress and national Democratic committees.
Crounse previously served as chief of staff to former Congressman Peter Hoagland and former Sen. Max Baucus. He is chair of the board of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. He holds degrees from the University of Nebraska and Creighton University.
Hibbing is emeritus Foundation Regents University Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he taught for 42 years before retiring in 2023. His research focused on American politics and the influence of genetics and biology on political orientations.
Hibbing has been a NATO Fellow in Science and a senior Fulbright fellow and is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a Guggenheim fellow. He has published nine books and more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. His honors include the University of Nebraska system’s Outstanding Research and Creativity Award and numerous teaching awards.
Horn returned to political media in 2012 after more than a decade in commercial advertising and communications. He was named the 2013 Campaign Manager of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants and has won multiple Pollie Awards.
He founded Bullhorn Communications in 2019 and has worked with candidates, organizations, super PACs and corporations. His clients have included candidates for governor, mayor and Congress, as well as corporate and institutional clients. Horn, who was born and raised in Omaha, earned degrees in economics and political science from George Washington University.
Jordan has spent more than five decades in journalism. From 1980 to 2009, he worked at KMTV in Omaha, covering eight Iowa caucuses, seven Nebraska governors, four national political conventions and other major political events.
In 2009, Jordan launched Nebraska Watchdog, Nebraska’s first nonprofit online political and investigative reporting site. He left journalism briefly in 2015 to serve as district director and press secretary for then-Congressman Brad Ashford before returning to journalism in 2017 with News Channel Nebraska. He retired in 2024 and has received numerous state and national journalism awards.
The Peter J. Hoagland Integrity in Public Service Lecture Series honors the legacy of the former second-district congressman and aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in public service.
The series began in 2008 with Ted Sorensen and has featured U.S. Sen. and retired astronaut Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut and U.S. senator; alumnus and CNN senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny, a UNL alumnus and CNN senior. White House correspondent; and Amy Walter, political analyst. The lecture is held annually, alternating between the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
As the university recognizes the 250th anniversary of the United States, this year’s lecture will provide an opportunity to examine the nation’s democratic traditions and the institutions involved in civic life.
