Dwight Willard Burney (January 7, 1892 – March 10, 1987) was an American politician from the state of Nebraska.

In a controversial move on June 27, 1961, while Nebraska Governor Frank B. Morrison, a Democrat, was attending a conference in Hawaii, Burney, at that time the lieutenant governor and a Republican, appointed Eugene T. Mahoney, also a Republican, to a seat in the Nebraska Legislature to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Senator John P.

[4] (At that time, the offices of Nebraska Governor and Nebraska Lieutenant Governor were elected independently, which enabled those offices to be held simultaneously by individuals of differing political parties.)

While controversial, Burney's actions were nonetheless legal since, by the absence of Governor Morrison from the state, Burney was considered "Acting Governor" by Article IV, Section 16, of the Nebraska Constitution at the time and could exercise the full powers of the governor's office, including the appointment of legislators to fill vacancies.

[5] Burney's wife Edna died in 1962, and he married Grayce Hahn of Polk, Nebraska on January 1, 1965.