Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly was sworn in as Nebraska’s 42nd Lieutenant Governor on January 5, 2023.
Born and raised in Lexington, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in 1978 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1981. Lt. Governor Kelly joined the Nebraska Army National Guard in 1979 and completed his basic training as an armored crewman that same year. He was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant in 1985.
Lieutenant Governor Kelly served as a criminal prosecutor in the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office from 1981 to 1985. From 1986 through 1990, he was an associate with a law firm in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He returned to his career as a prosecutor with the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office in 1990. He was elected Lancaster County Attorney in 2010 and again in 2014.
In 2018, Lt. Governor Kelly was appointed as the United States Attorney for Nebraska by President Trump. He most recently served as the Criminal Bureau Chief for the Nebraska Attorney General.
Lt. Governor Kelly and his wife of more than 35 years, Susan, have two children, Shannon and Tom. The Kellys live in Lincoln and attend St. Peter Catholic Church.