Democratic contender clinches victory over Omaha's incumbent mayor in significant contest for presidential battleground.
In Omaha, an Election Night Shocker
Get ready for a game changer in Omaha's political landscape! The city's first female mayor, Jean Stothert, conceded the mayoral race to John Ewing, who's about to become the community's first Black mayor.
Tuesday's vote in Omaha had history in the balance—either reelecting the city's groundbreaking female mayor or electing its trailblazing first Black mayor.
Mayor Stothert and challenger John Ewing's contest centered around local issues like street repairs, trash collection, but in the end game, they delved into national, divisive topics such as the Trump administration and transgender rights.
With a deficit of nearly 5,000 votes in the initial results, Mayor Stothert admitted defeat on election night. As per KETV, she called Ewing to concede.
"I picked up the phone and congratulated him," Stothert declared at her election event. "John Ewing is taking over a fantastic city, leaving a robust foundation for the city we all cherish. We're thankful and optimistic."
The victor will command Nebraska's largest city, home to almost a quarter of the state's population.
Stothet, bidding for a fourth term, projected Omaha as a city riding high on a wave, with a revitalized riverfront, streetcar plans and progress in street repair projects.
"I have grand ambitions, and they're working out," Stothert told the Omaha World-Herald.
Stothet would have marked the longest mayoral tenure in more than a century, had she won.
Ewing, the county treasurer, expressed that Stothet hadn't focused enough attention on fundamental issues like fixing potholes, boosting police numbers, and constructing affordable housing.
"People feel like she's had her day, and it's high time for someone fresh," Ewing said.
Although the mayor's position is apolitical, the candidates made it clear to voters that Stothet is a Republican and Ewing a Democrat. Omaha is one of the few political strongholds in conservative Nebraska where Democrats have a shot at winning elected offices.
In the Political Ring
Even though the focus was on bread-and-butter issues like city services, candidates quickly set partisan tones as the election approached.
A Stothet ad claimed, "Ewing sides with extremists who want boys in girls' sports."
Ewing retorted that he hadn't grappled with transgender issues as treasurer, and told KETV he wouldn't address hypothetical questions.
Ewing aired ads linking Stothet to the Trump administration, featuring the mayor alongside the president and asserting, "Say no to the chaos and elect a mayor who will deliver results."
In the midst of the tight mayoral race in Omaha, taxes and politics appeared to be intertwined, with both candidates, Jean Stothert and John Ewing, discussing national issues such as transgender rights and the Trump administration, transforming the campaign into a political battleground.
The upcoming administration of John Ewing could potentially have an impact on taxes in Omaha, as his defeat of the incumbent mayor, who is known for her ties to the Trump administration, may prompt changes in the city's general-news landscape.
