Among other operations, Krist served in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.[4] In 1998, he was chosen as an Active Duty Air Force Advisor to then-Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson and the Adjutant General of Nebraska.[4]
In 2014, Krist was inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame.[4] In 2017, the Secretary of State of Nebraska, John Gale, appointed him to serve on the Honor a Veteran Honorary Steering Committee.[5]
Nebraska Legislature
Krist was appointed to the Nebraska Legislature by Governor Dave Heineman on September 11, 2009, to replace Senator Mike Friend. He won election to the office in 2010 and was reelected in 2014.[3] Krist represented the 10th Legislative District, an area encompassing some of the northwest portion of Omaha, the entire city of Bennington and a north-central portion of Douglas County.[6] In 2015, senators elected him Chairman of the Executive Board of the Legislative Council and he also served as Chairman of the Referencing Committee.[3]
His standing committee assignments in the Legislature include the Judiciary Committee, the Agriculture Committee, and the General Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Rules Committee and the Justice Reinvestment Oversight Committee.[7]
In 2017, Krist expressed interest in running for the governorship of Nebraska in 2018. He initially indicated that he might run against incumbent Pete Ricketts in the Republican primary.[8] In July 2017, he stated that he would run as a third-party candidate and that he would remain a Republican until the end of his term in the Nebraska Legislature.[9] In September 2017, Krist announced his candidacy; he stated that he would change his party registration to "nonpartisan" later that day.[10] In February 2018, he changed his registration to the Democratic Party and said he would run for that party's gubernatorial nomination.[11]
Krist won the primary election on May 15, 2018, defeating two other candidates.[12] He was defeated in the general election on November 6, 2018 by Ricketts, with 41% of the vote against Ricketts's 59%.
Occupation
Krist is currently the owner of Dyna-Tech Aviation. He has served as a pilot since 2000 and the Chief Pilot since 2002.[4]
