# 2025 Omaha mayoral election

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vte :
The 2025 Omaha mayoral election will be held on May 13, 2025, to elect the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. A primary election will be held on April 1, in which the two highest-placing candidates will advance to the general election. Municipal elections in Omaha are officially nonpartisan.
Incumbent Republican mayor Jean Stothert is running for re-election to what would be a record fourth term in office.

## Background

Incumbent Republican mayor Jean Stothert was re-elected Mayor of Omaha after defeating RJ Neary by a margin of 29.62% in 2021. The last time a Democrat was elected mayor was Jim Suttle in 2009. February 28 is the last day for mayoral candidates to file.

## Primary election
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Terry Brewer, community organizer (Party preference: Independent)
* John Ewing, Douglas County Treasurer and nominee for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in 2012 (Party preference: Democratic)
* Jasmine Harris, public health official and candidate for mayor in 2021 (Party preference: Democratic)
* Mike McDonnell, state senator and former chief of the Omaha Fire Department (Party preference: Republican)
* Jean Stothert, incumbent mayor (Party preference: Republican)

#### Declined

* Pete Festersen, president of the Omaha City Council and candidate for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in 2014 (Party preference: Democratic) (running for re-election)

### Campaign

Key issues in the campaign included crime, infrastructure, and the future of the Omaha Streetcar project.
Controversy arose when an anonymous Reddit user posted screenshots of an email exchange between Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb and Mike McDonnell's campaign manager, which showed that Kleeb had sent photos of an anti-Jean Stothert ad to McDonnell's campaign several weeks before it was released to the public. Both Democrats in the race, John Ewing and Jasmine Harris, criticized Kleeb's action. Rumors had spread that the Nebraska Democratic Party was supporting the Republican McDonnell's candidacy, possibly in exchange for his deciding vote to preserve Nebraska's split Electoral College vote system. These allegations were denied by McDonnell's campaign and by Nebraska Democratic Party executive director Precious McKesson, who affirmed the party's support for the two Democrats in the race.

### Endorsements
#### State legislators

* Steve Halloran, state senator
* Burke Harr, former state senator (Democratic)
* Julie Slama, state senator

#### Local officials

* Mike Fahey, former mayor of Omaha (Democratic)
* P. J. Morgan, Douglas County commissioner and former mayor of Omaha

#### Labor unions

* Omaha Police Union

#### Individuals

* Dan Osborn, former president of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 50G (Independent)

#### U.S. Governors

* Dave Heineman, former Governor of Nebraska

#### Local officials

* Kathy Bossman, chief of the Omaha Fire Department
* Todd Schmaderer, chief of Omaha Police Department

### Debates and forums

2025 Omaha mayoral primary debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Independent | Democratic | Democratic | Republican | Republican |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | | | | | |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Brewer | Ewing | Harris | McDonnell | Stothert |
| 1 | March 11, 2025 | WOWT Omaha Press Club | Brian Mastre | | P | P | P | P | P |
| 2 | March 16, 2025 | KETV | Bill Schammert | | P | P | P | P | P |

### Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of March 5, 2025 :
| Candidate (party) | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Jean Stothert (R) | $325,577 | $340,653 | $711,751 |
| Mike McDonnell (R) | $115,500 | $221,906 | $248,701 |
| John Ewing (D) | $35,746 | $69,639 | $72,058 |
| Jasmine Harris (D) | $19,384 | $22,407 | $7,417 |
| Source: Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission ||||

### Results

2025 Omaha mayoral primary election results :
| Candidate | Candidate |
| Terry Brewer | Terry Brewer |
| John Ewing | John Ewing |
| Jasmine Harris | Jasmine Harris |
| Mike McDonnell | Mike McDonnell |
| Jean Stothert (incumbent) | Jean Stothert (incumbent) |
| Total votes | Total votes |

## General election
### Polling
#### McDonnell vs. Stothert

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike McDonnell | Jean Stothert | Undecided |
| Amp Research | January 22–23, 2025 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 37.4% | 34.4% | 28.2% |