Municipal elections in Omaha, Nebraska (2017)

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2020


2017 Omaha elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: March 3, 2017
Primary election: April 4, 2017
General election: May 9, 2017
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor, City Council
Total seats up: 8
Election type: Nonpartisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2017
A contentious mayoral race defined Omaha's municipal elections on May 9, 2017. Mayor Jean Stothert (R) won re-election against former state Sen. Heath Mello (D) after advancing from the April 4 primary election. Learn more about policy and political clashes in the mayoral race here. The city council was controlled by a 4-3 Democratic majority heading into the 2017 election. There were no pickup opportunities for Republicans in the general election and Democrats were unable to gain a fifth seat in the District 7 election. Read about the council's governing majority by clicking here.[1]

A primary election took place on April 4, 2017. The top two vote recipients in each race advanced to the general election. The filing deadline for city council candidates in this election was March 1, 2017, while mayoral candidates had to file by March 3, 2017.

Omaha's municipal elections are nonpartisan, but Ballotpedia identified the partisan affiliations of candidates based on their election filings and public statements.

Elections

Mayor

Republican Party Jean Stothert (i)
Democratic Party Heath Mello

Defeated in primary

Democratic Party Ean Mikale
Republican Party Taylor Royal
Independent Christopher Geary

Campaign finance

Campaign finance information for the general election is available here. Click [show] on the box below to view campaign finance information from the March 20 filing deadline:

District 1

Note: Grant Sturek replaced Paul Anderson on the general election ballot after Anderson's withdrawal from the race.

Democratic Party Pete Festersen (i)
Democratic Party Grant Sturek

Withdrawn

Republican Party Paul Anderson

Campaign finance

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by District 1 candidates for the March 20 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through March 20, 2017. A candidate with N/A under each column did not file a report for this period.[2]

District 2

Democratic Party Ben Gray (i)
Democratic Party Dennis Womack

Defeated in primary

Democratic Party Tanya Cooper
Democratic Party Gwen Easter
Democratic Party Maurice Jones
Independent Krystal Gabel
Independent Bradley Whitmore Jr.

Campaign finance

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by District 2 candidates for the March 20 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through March 20, 2017. A candidate with N/A under each column did not file a report for this period.[2]

District 3

Democratic Party Chris Jerram (i)
Democratic Party D'Shawn Cunningham

Defeated in primary

Republican Party Gilbert Ayala
Republican Party JR Jasso
Independent Mark G. Elworth Jr.

Campaign finance

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by District 3 candidates for the March 20 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through March 20, 2017. A candidate with N/A under each column did not file a report for this period.[2]

District 4

Incumbent Garry Gernandt (D) did not run for re-election.

Democratic Party Jim Rogers
Democratic Party Vinny Palermo

Defeated in primary

Republican Party Rebecca Barrientos-Patlan

Campaign finance

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by District 4 candidates for the March 20 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through March 20, 2017. A candidate with N/A under each column did not file a report for this period.[2]

District 5

Republican Party Rich Pahls (i)

Campaign finance

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by District 5 candidates for the March 20 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through March 20, 2017.[2]

District 6

Incumbent Franklin Thompson (R) did not run for re-election.

Republican Party Dwite Pedersen
Republican Party Brinker Harding

Campaign finance

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by District 6 candidates for the March 20 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through March 20, 2017.[2]

District 7

Republican Party Aimee Melton (i)
Democratic Party Brian Thommes

Campaign finance

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by District 7 candidates for the March 20 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through March 20, 2017.[2]

Endorsements

The following table details organizational endorsements in Omaha's 2017 municipal elections. A race with N/A means that the organization did not provide an endorsement or an indication of non-endorsement as of May 2, 2017.

2017 Omaha Endorsements
Seat up for election Omaha Police Officers Association[3] Omaha World-Herald[4]
Mayor No endorsement N/A
District 1 Pete Festersen Democratic Party Pete Festersen Democratic Party
District 2 Ben Gray Democratic Party Ben Gray Democratic Party
District 3 No endorsement Chris Jerram Democratic Party
District 4 Jim Rogers Democratic Party Jim Rogers Democratic Party
District 5 No endorsement No endorsement
District 6 Brinker Harding Republican Party Brinker Harding Republican Party
District 7 No endorsement Aimee Melton Republican Party

Additional elections

See also: Nebraska elections, 2017

Omaha's mayoral and council elections did not share the ballot with other local, state, or national elections. The following document is a sample ballot for the April 4 primary.

You can navigate the following document by zooming in or out with the + and - buttons and using the vertical scrollbar.

Council map

Each member of the council is elected by district. The map below details the boundaries of Omaha's city council districts as of February 28, 2017.

You can navigate the following document by zooming in or out with the + and - buttons and using the vertical scrollbar.

Past elections

2013

Mayor of Omaha, General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJean Stothert 57% 48,290
Jim Suttle Incumbent 42.6% 36,120
Write-in votes 0.4% 361
Total Votes 84,771
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Omaha City Council, District 1 General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngPete Festersen Incumbent 63% 7,908
Ed Truemper 36.5% 4,579
Write-in votes 0.5% 69
Total Votes 12,556
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Omaha City Council, District 2 General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBen Gray Incumbent 56.7% 4,172
Tariq Al-Amin 42% 3,091
Write-in votes 1.4% 101
Total Votes 7,364
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Omaha City Council, District 3 General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngChris Jerram Incumbent 67.6% 6,257
JR Jasso 31.2% 2,888
Write-in votes 1.3% 116
Total Votes 9,261
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Omaha City Council, District 4 General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngGarry Gernandt Incumbent 66.5% 4,305
Virgil Patlan Sr. 33.1% 2,147
Write-in votes 0.4% 26
Total Votes 6,478
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Omaha City Council, District 5 General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRich Pahls 58.1% 7,910
Jeff Moore 41% 5,587
Write-in votes 0.8% 115
Total Votes 13,612
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Omaha City Council, District 6 General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngFranklin Thompson Incumbent 60.3% 10,044
Phil Klein 39.2% 6,531
Write-in votes 0.5% 86
Total Votes 16,661
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Omaha City Council, District 7 General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAimee Melton 62.6% 8,588
Tim Lonergan 36.7% 5,038
Write-in votes 0.6% 85
Total Votes 13,711
Source: Douglas County, Nebraska, "Official Results, 2013 General Election," May 24, 2013


Issues

Sources of contention in mayoral race

The mayoral race between incumbent Jean Stothert and challenger Heath Mello attracted national attention with visits by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) prior to the general election. Sanders campaigned with Mello on April 20, while Walker campaigned with Stothert on April 24. Stothert's campaign responded to Sanders' visit by saying, "Bernie Sanders is a self-avowed socialist and Mello's embracing him will push every conservative voter to Mayor Stothert."[5] Mello's campaign criticized Walker's visit, saying, "Now, in a moment of desperation, the Stothert campaign is turning to an extreme Republican who has decimated public education and repealed equal pay laws."[6]

Stothert and Mello sparred over city politics and policy throughout the mayoral campaign. Here is a summary of the disputes between the two candidates prior to the election:

Public safety

Mayor Jean Stothert (R)
Heath Mello (D)

Stothert and Mello disagreed over the impact of the mayor's office on public safety since Stothert took office in 2013. The Omaha World-Herald reported that the city's violent crime rate increased between 2012 and 2016, while the property crime rate decreased during the same period. Stothert touted the addition of 56 full-time officers to the police department, funding for community programs for at-risk youth, and plans for a fifth police precinct. Mello argued for strengthening the city's citizen review board for police, employing an independent group to review police staffing needs, and creating a council to help people find work after leaving prison. Both candidates supported body camera use by police officers and wanted Police Chief Todd Schmaderer to stay in his position after the election.[7]

Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning and the Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Association endorsed Mello prior to the primary, while the Omaha Police Officers Association declined to endorse in the mayoral election. Schmaderer and the police union made a statement admonishing Dunning for a March 2017 ad criticizing Stothert's approach to crime.[7][8][9]

Annexation

Stothert's proposal to annex seven subdivisions into the city limits was approved unanimously by the city council in August 2016.[10] She argued that 6,000 new residents of the city receive improved services, while the city's tax base increased after expansion. On April 11, 2017, Mello criticized the mayor's annexation plan for reducing city services to existing residents during a debate. Stothert countered that she gained support for annexation from police and fire department officials prior to council approval.[11]

Streetcar

During the April 11 debate, Stothert and Mello discussed their differing opinions on a proposed streetcar project. An independent assessment by HDR Inc. published in February 2017 determined that a streetcar from midtown to downtown would cost $156 million. This assessment determined that the project could be completed by 2018 using local funding sources or 2020 using federal grants.[12] Stothert has supported the project but argued for a public vote on the streetcar during the debate. Mello countered that the city should halt the project to focus transportation funding on roadway projects. He supported the streetcar project during his time in the state legislature.[11]

Tax policy

Mello criticized Stothert's record on the restaurant tax, which is applied to every table's bill at city restaurants. He argued that Stothert promised to cut taxes in her 2013 campaign, but failed to reduce the 2.5 percent restaurant tax rate. Mello proposed a maximum annual growth of 1.75 percent for the restaurant tax. Stothert supported a restaurant tax reduction during her first term, but focused on reducing property tax rates. She noted that her administration won city council support for two property tax decreases over a four-year period.[13]

Involvement in politics of public schools

Mello received the endorsement of the Omaha Education Association in February 2017, which was the union's first endorsement of a political candidate. The endorsement took place at the same time as the Omaha Public Schools board leadership election, which generated news for Mello's involvement in solving a voting deadlock.[14] The board selected Lacey Merica, a former legislative aide to Mello, as its president in February 2017. Mello told local media that he was contacted by the two board president candidates to facilitate a solution. Stothert, a former board member for Millard Public Schools, countered that Mello was interfering in district politics despite a history of separate governance between the city and school district.[15]

Snow plowing plan

A February 2017 snowstorm and ensuing traffic problems led Mello to criticize Stothert for the city's inability to plow snow during peak commuting times. In a statement following Mello's comments, Stothert said, "Trying to politicize these weather events is a disservice to the citizens of Omaha." The city implemented a new plan in October 2016 that moved up road pre-treatment timing and lowered the threshold for plowing from four inches of snow to two inches. Mello argued for a review of practices used by other cities to develop an alternative plan.[16]

Campaign finance in the general election

The following table details campaign finance information submitted by mayoral candidates for the April 24 reporting deadline. These reports include contributions and expenditures for each candidate through April 24, 2017.[2]

Governing majority on the city council

The following table shows the partisan affiliations of council members heading into the 2017 election as indicated in their candidate filings from 2013 and 2017. The Omaha City Council was governed by a 4-3 Democratic majority heading into the 2017 election, based on publicly available information on partisan affiliations of city council members. The council is also divided geographically with four Democratic members residing in eastern Omaha districts and three Republican members representing the city's west side. The city's elections are nonpartisan, but candidates indicate their party when filing for election.

Omaha City Council
District Member Party 2017 result
1 Pete Festersen Electiondot.png Democratic Won re-election
2 Ben Gray Electiondot.png Democratic Won re-election
3 Chris Jerram Electiondot.png Democratic Won re-election
4 Garry Gernandt[17] Electiondot.png Democratic Did not seek re-election
5 Rich Pahls Ends.png Republican Won re-election
6 Franklin Thompson[18] Ends.png Republican Did not seek re-election
7 Aimee Melton Ends.png Republican Won re-election

An analysis of board minutes from September 2016 to February 2017 found no correlation between the partisan affiliations of council members and council voting patterns. The council unanimously approved 708 resolutions and amendments during this period, representing 97.9 percent of the council's 723 votes. One or more council members opposed nine resolutions that were approved by the council and six resolutions were defeated during this period. Democratic members voted together once to oppose a resolution, while Republican members voted together twice to oppose resolutions.

About the city

See also: Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska. As of 2010, its population was 408,958.

City government

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Omaha uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[19]

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha Nebraska
Population 408,958 1,826,341
Land area (sq mi) 140 76,817
Race and ethnicity**
White 77.5% 87.1%
Black/African American 12.3% 4.8%
Asian 3.8% 2.4%
Native American 0.6% 0.9%
Pacific Islander 0% 0.1%
Two or more 3.4% 2.6%
Hispanic/Latino 13.9% 10.9%
Education
High school graduation rate 89.5% 91.4%
College graduation rate 37.7% 31.9%
Income
Median household income $60,092 $61,439
Persons below poverty level 13.4% 11.1%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Omaha Nebraska election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

Omaha, Nebraska Nebraska Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes

  1. Douglas County Election Commission, "Candidate Information," accessed March 3, 2017
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, "Campaign Statements Search," accessed May 4, 2017
  3. Omaha World-Herald, "Omaha police union issues endorsements in city races — but not in mayor’s contest," April 13, 2017
  4. Omaha World-Herald, "Editorial: Our choices for Omaha City Council," May 2, 2017
  5. KETV, "Bernie Sanders to campaign for Omaha mayoral candidate Heath Mello at April 20 rally," April 7, 2017
  6. Omaha World-Herald, "Scott Walker coming to Omaha to rally voters for Jean Stothert," April 19, 2017
  7. 7.0 7.1 Omaha World-Herald, "On public safety, Stothert and Mello take different approaches," April 11, 2017
  8. KETV, "Omaha firefighters' union endorses Heath Mello for mayor," March 6, 2017
  9. Omaha World-Herald, "Top cop in Douglas County blocks Mayor Stothert's phone calls, backs Mello," March 3, 2017
  10. Omaha World-Herald, "Council OKs Stothert's annexation plan; 6,000 people will become Omaha residents," August 10, 2016
  11. 11.0 11.1 Omaha World-Herald, "Sparks fly over streetcar, crime in first mayoral debate," April 13, 2017
  12. Omaha World-Herald, "Assessment puts cost of Omaha streetcar at $156 million, suggests ways to make project pay for itself," February 27, 2017
  13. Omaha World-Herald, "Stothert and Mello both talk tax cuts, but any changes would likely be small," March 6, 2017
  14. Omaha World-Herald, "Omaha teachers union endorses Heath Mello in mayoral election," February 28, 2017
  15. Omaha World-Herald, "Omaha, OPS politics mixing ahead of election," February 25, 2017
  16. KETV, "Frosty feelings in Omaha mayor's race after snow snarls commute," February 8, 2017
  17. Omaha World-Herald, "Longtime councilman Garry Gernandt won't run for re-election," November 30, 2016
  18. Omaha World-Herald, "City Council, District 6: Annexation looms over contest between Thompson, Klein," May 3, 2013
  19. City of Omaha, "About our Government," accessed October 22, 2014