DemDaily: Democrats Overcome Omaha Mayoral
May 16, 2025
In a historic upset, the voters of Omaha, Nebraska, have unseated a 12-year Republican incumbent in favor of its first African American Democratic Mayor.
In the resounding May 13 victory, five-term Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing Jr. (D) defeated Mayor Jean Stothert (R) 56.17% to 43.55%.
| Under the city's top-two electoral system, the two contenders advanced to the general election in the officially nonpartisan April 1 mayoral primary, with Stothert having secured 36% of the vote to Ewing's 32%. Former Democratic State Senator Mike McDonnell, who switched his party affiliation to the GOP in 2024, secured 20%, followed by two other candidates. |
Stothert was elected Omaha's first female Mayor in 2013, defeating incumbent Democrat Jim Suttle with 57.32% of the vote, and was last re-elected in 2021 by more than 30 points.
The astounding contrast four years later is being hailed as an unquestionable reflection of voter dissatisfaction with Donald Trump, just four months into his presidency. In an off-election year dominated by mayoral races, big city contests are studied as a benchmark for the mood of the electorate. Among the 40 most populous American cities, Omaha was one of only six with a Republican mayor.
Ewing's candidacy also benefited from an increased investment by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in red states, part of DNC Chair Ken Martin's pledge to reform the Party. "From coast to coast, from blue to purple to even red states, Democrats are overwhelmingly outperforming Republicans in nearly every election held this year," said Martin this week.
Association of Democratic Committees (ASDC) President and Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb credited resources from the DNC for allowing the state party "to build on young voters’ connection to Harris in 2024 and focus attention on the mayoral race... We made historic progress tonight," she said of Ewing's win, "and tomorrow the hard work continues on as we look to 2026.”
Going into the election, Stothert had a commanding lead in fundraising, with a total of $904,000 compared to Ewing's $536,000 --.85% of which came in over the last six weeks.
Nebraska plays a unique role in presidential politics as one of two states, along with Maine, that allocates its electoral votes separately by congressional district, in addition to two electoral votes going to the statewide winner.
| Although the state overwhelmingly votes Republican in presidential elections, Nebraska's Second Congressional District, which encompasses Omaha and its suburbs -- referred to as the "blue dot" -- has voted Democrat in three of the last five presidential elections. |
Obama narrowly won the Second District in 2008, making it the first time in 44 years that a Democrat won any of the state's electoral votes. The GOP carried it in 2012 and 2016, but in 2020, the district flipped back to the Democratic column, backing Joe Biden by 6.7%. Harris prevailed in 2024 by 4.6 points.
While Democrats outnumber Republicans 39% to 33% within the city limits of Omaha, the Second District, represented by five-term GOP Congressman Don Bacon, is one of three congressional districts that voted for Harris in 2024 while still electing a Republican to Congress.
Bacon is a top target for Democrats in 2026 in what is expected to be one of the most closely contested battlegrounds in the fight for control of the US House, which now stands at 220 Republican to 215 Democratic seats.
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Sources: New York Times, FlatwaterFreePress, Courierr, Reddit, Ballotpedia, Nebraska Examiner, KETV
