Megan Hunt: Expanding Representation in Nebraska’s Legislature
When Megan Hunt was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2018, she did more than win a seat. She made history.
Born May 9, 1986, Huntbecame the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Nebraska Legislature and the first woman to represent District 8, which includes Omaha neighborhoods such as Dundee, Bensonand Keystone. She succeeded term-limited Sen. Burke Harr and quickly became known for amplifying progressive urban policy conversations in a largely rural, conservative state.
Originally from Blair, Nebraska, Hunt graduated from Blair High School in 2004. While in high school, Hunt worked as a cook for a local catering company and was a member of a hot air balloon crew. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in intercultural communication and German from Dana College in 2008. During this time, she also worked as a newspaper reporter and a retail clerk at a locally owned record store. Before entering politics, she built a reputation as a community leader and entrepreneur, earning recognition from Shout Magazine’s 30 Under 30, the Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, and the Omaha Jaycees as one of its Ten Outstanding Omahans.
Hunt co-founded Hello Holiday, an Omaha boutique and online retail business that supported independent designers and small brands. She then went to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for a Political Communication Master's Program, and also coached the Bair High School Forensic Team for four years.
Hunt also founded and operates Five Nine Shop and Project, a paper goods store, gallery, and studio in Omaha's Benson neighborhood. She created the 'Ceremony' online store and showroom that sells a collection of new, reworked, and vintage clothing.
According to her website, some of her written original legislation, such as hyper-local topics like city board appointments, tenants' rights, and grants for creative arts districts, to more controversial subjects like non-consensual pornography and sex trafficking have been amended into other passed bills.
Hunt is also the founder and vice president of Safe Space Nebraska, a non-profit organization that works to reduce harassment and sexual assault in nightlife settings. Hunt identifies as bisexual and has spoken openly about the significance of representation in public office. Her presence in the Legislature marked a cultural shift for the state, signaling broader inclusion in a body that had never before elected an openly LGBTQ lawmaker.
During her tenure, she has served on several key committees, including Business and Labor, Government, Military and Veterans Affairs, Urban Affairs, and State-Tribal Relations. She has sponsored dozens of bills and was among 11 state senators who sought to convene a special legislative session focused on racial and social justice issues. Hunt has served on the boards of several Omaha-area organizations, including the Charles Drew Health Center, Friends of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Friends of the Nebraska AIDS Project, Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, and is a trustee of the Business Ethics Alliance.
In 2019, she completed Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow. Hunt was re-elected in 2022, securing a second term representing District 8.
In Nebraska’s only unicameral legislature, Megan Hunt carved out space for new voices, new priorities, and a broader vision of who belongs in power.
