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The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
A huge Democratic victory in Omaha offers a lesson for the party
For the last several months, the Trump administration's reckless use of executive power, trade policy, gutting federal agencies, and defying court orders has gone largely unchecked. National Democrats have limited means of opposition – so the best hope for accountability will be electoral accountability. This may help explain why last Tuesday's election results in America's 41st biggest city generated such outsized excitement from progressives. John Ewing Jr, a longtime county treasurer, was elected the first Black mayor of Omaha, defeating the incumbent Jean Stothert, who was seeking a fourth term after holding that office since 2013. More than that, Ewing won big, by nearly 13 points, marking a huge shift after Stothert won her last race by 30. Ewing ran a substantive, highly localized campaign that built upon decades of credibility he earned as a public servant – supplemented by the longstanding work of the Nebraska Democratic party to build coalitions in a traditionally deep-red state. In swinging this race by 43 points, they have both inspired hope that the political winds may be shifting, and provided a model for Democrats to succeed in 2026 and beyond. The results in Omaha are meaningful not for the scale of the city, but for how it may reflect the country as a whole. Omaha's congressional seat – Nebraska's second – is a true swing district, one of only three in the country that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024 while also electing a Republican to Congress. It's a diverse, medium-sized, midwestern city – and if that isn't enough to convey its heartland status, it's nearly in the geographic center of the contiguous United States. For all of these reasons, it's instructive for Democrats to understand the strategy of the chair of the Nebraska Democratic party, who now serves as president of the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) and a DNC vice-chair: Jane Kleeb. In a moment when so much media attention has been focused on internal procedural drama surrounding certain other vice-chairs, Kleeb and the Nebraska Democratic party have continued their longstanding focus on the day-to-day work. In the waning days of the Omaha mayoral election, Stothert attempted to negatively polarize voters against Ewing by nationalizing the race – and, in particular, hammering the GOP's favorite wedge issue target of late: trans people. As my colleague John Nichols wrote about last week for the Nation, this did not work. Instead, Ewing refused to take the bait and kept his focus on tangible municipal issues – such as housing, street paving and even a struggling streetcar project. In a simple graphic released three days before the election, the Nebraska Democratic party proudly declared: 'Jean is focused on potties. John is focused on fixing potholes.' As thousands of Democrats across the country seek election up and down the ballot in 2026, they too could decline to debate on Republican terms and instead run campaigns relentlessly focused on improving their constituents' lives. Successful as this campaign was, it also builds upon statewide efforts from the Nebraska Democratic party to compete in unfavorable territory. Kleeb has long advocated for Democrats to perform direct outreach to rural voters – and it's not the same thing as pandering. Instead, it means recognizing real problems that, say, farmers are experiencing and offering practical solutions. In her words: 'In rural and small towns we may not use the word 'climate change' in the first five sentences, but everything we're doing is talking about protecting the land and water.' And progressives in Nebraska know a thing or two about the value of avoiding toxic political labels. When the navy veteran, mechanic, and union leader Dan Osborn ran a populist, independent campaign for Senate last year, the Nebraska Democratic party stepped aside and chose not to run a candidate. While Osborn and the state party had their differences – and he ultimately lost – this unorthodox strategy showed serious upside. Osborn came closer to defeating the incumbent Republican than any other challenger in the 2024 cycle; now he's looking at a 2026 run in much more favorable circumstances. With lessons to learn from the success in Nebraska, it is encouraging that Kleeb now holds a prominent leadership position in the national Democratic party – the same role that Ken Martin held before he became chair. As head of the ASDC, Kleeb is well positioned to work with all 50 state chairs to get them the resources they need – and it will be all 50, as she and the DNC recently announced that the national organization will be contributing more to state parties as part of a re-emerging 50 state strategy. But even if Kleeb's ascendance only meant that the Democratic party got better at competing in Nebraska, it could prove decisive. Given that the House is currently held by Republicans by a handful of seats (give or take whatever disgraced resignations happen between now and next November), the race in Nebraska's second district could very well be the tipping point for control of the lower chamber. Representative Don Bacon, who held on to his seat by less than 2 points last cycle, may well retire before he has a chance to lose. Whether the race for Congress in 2026 comes down to Omaha itself or someplace like it, Democratic victories will depend on a nationwide effort to invest as deeply in local concerns as Kleeb and Ewing have. That strategy can be summed up with a mantra that Kleeb has repeated time and time again – what you may call Jane's refrain: 'When we organize everywhere, we can win anywhere!' Katrina vanden Heuvel is editorial director and publisher of the Nation, she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and she has contributed to the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Omaha decides between electing its first Black mayor or reelecting its first female one
OMAHA, Neb. — Voters in Omaha will make history Tuesday by either reelecting the city's first female mayor to a rare fourth term or electing the community's first Black mayor. The race between Mayor Jean Stothert and challenger John Ewing has primarily revolved around local issues like street repairs and garbage service, but in the final stretch the campaign touched on more national, hot-button issues such as President Donald Trump's administration and transgender rights.
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Omaha decides between electing its first Black mayor or reelecting its first female one
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Voters in Omaha will make history Tuesday by either reelecting the city's first female mayor to a rare fourth term or electing the community's first Black mayor. The race between Mayor Jean Stothert and challenger John Ewing has primarily revolved around local issues like street repairs and garbage service, but in the final stretch the campaign touched on more national, hot-button issues such as President Donald Trump's administration and transgender rights. The winner will lead Nebraska's largest city, which makes up nearly a quarter of the state's population. In campaigning for a fourth term, Stothert has portrayed Omaha as a city on a hot streak with a revitalized riverfront, plans moving ahead on a streetcar line and progress repairing city streets. 'I have plans and can talk about them, and they are working,' Stothert told the Omaha World-Herald. If reelected, she would have the longest tenure as mayor in more than a century. Ewing, the county treasurer, said the mayor hasn't focused enough attention on core issues like filling potholes, hiring more police officers and building more affordable housing. 'People just feel like she's had her time, and it's time for somebody new,' Ewing said. Although the mayor's office is nonpartisan, the candidates have made it clear to voters that Stothert is a Republican and Ewing is a Democrat. Omaha is among the few spots in conservative Nebraska where Democrats have a reasonable chance of winning elected offices. Despite a focus on bread-and-butter issues like city services, the candidates have issued more partisan messages as the election neared. A Stothert TV ad says, 'Ewing stands with radicals who want to allow boys in girls' sports.' Ewing responded that he hasn't dealt with such transgender issues as treasurer and told KETV he wouldn't respond to hypothetical questions. Ewing has aired ads that connect Stothert to the Trump administration, showing the mayor on a split screen with Trump and saying 'Let's say no to the chaos and elect a mayor who will actually get things done.'
