On the night of her most recent successful primary win, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert stood before a mix of reporters, supporters and other elected officials. She congratulated John Ewing Jr. on moving ahead, and told her supporters there is still more work to do.
“We’ve got five weeks now,” Stothert said. “We must win on May 13, and we got to keep this momentum going. So tomorrow, Wednesday, it’s going to be another regular day of campaigning. We’re not going to take a day off.”
Stothert is currently tied for the longest-serving mayor of Omaha at 12 years. In her first mayoral race she beat incumbent mayor Jim Suttle, getting about 57% of the vote. She is running on the idea of steady leadership. “We have a record of success,” Stothert said. “We have a record of meeting and exceeding goals. We have a record of turning vision into results.”
John Ewing Jr. has been Douglas County treasurer since 2007.
“I’ve been responsible for an organization that collects about $1.7 billion a year,” said Ewing.
He said in his tenure as treasurer, he has brought about changes to the department that allow for quicker processing, something he said will work in his favor if he is elected mayor.
“We’ve become much more efficient,” Ewing said. “I believe that’s what the argument should be when we talk about government being more efficient and effective, rather than just looking at this is the way we’ve always done it.”
Prior to being treasurer, Ewing was with the Omaha Police Department for around 25 years. He filled a few roles in his time with OPD, but he concluded as the deputy chief, where he was responsible for the budget, and other major operations within the department like the capital improvement plan. “We need to be doing those basic services that everybody expects in a manner of excellence,” Ewing said. “Because that impacts people’s day to day lives and their quality of life.”
In the most recent primary, Stothert ended up getting 36% of the vote, while Ewing got 33%. That leaves about a third of Omaha’s voters who voted for the other primary candidates.
Stothert dominated the western precincts, though voter attendance in the area was relatively low compared to the previous 2021 election. Ewing carried the precincts in east central and North Omaha fenced in by I-80 on the south, and I-680 on the west.
Stothert has received endorsements from the likes of Gov. Jim Pillen, OPD Chief Todd Schmaderer and Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman.
Ewing has received endorsements from former Gov. Bob Kerrey, former Omaha mayor PJ Morgan and former State Sen. and Omaha Mayoral Primary candidate Mike McDonnell by means of the Omaha Federation of Labor, which McDonnell is president of.
Brain Drain
UNO’s Peter Kiewit Institute is home to the College of Information Science & Technology, where students learn about subjects like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. A worry for some in Omaha is keeping these students in state after their graduation.
“Brain drain,” as some call it, is the exodus of young professionals from the state to live elsewhere.
Stothert said she isn’t worried because during her tenure she has already combatted the issue through development.
“I think that the growth, there is some because of immigration, but there is others because of new or young professionals,” she said. “There’s even more because of new jobs that are being created, not by not only businesses, but our universities.”
She attributes the development of the urban core, areas like the Riverfront or the Blackstone district, to why there has been a shift from drain to retain.
Ewing said that affordable housing is one way to work against brain drain and retain young talent.
“We’ve got to ensure that we have decent and affordable housing for all of our residents,” Ewing said. “But we’ve also got to make sure that home ownership is now not out of reach for our young people just starting out in their careers.”
He said the city should work with nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing, so that when these students graduate, they will be able stay local.
“It’s affordability. And so more affordable housing is important,” Stothert said. “That’s what young professionals are looking for. They’re looking for urban living. They’re looking for public transportation and easy transportation.”
Public Transportation
Another issue Omahans are facing is public transportation. One specific is the Omaha Streetcar project, a $459 million project that will go from the Blackstone District, east, down to the Riverfront. It is estimated to be completed and in service by 2028. Both candidates think the project has the potential to be successful.
Ewing said it’s key to make sure public transit is accessible and useful to more than just the urban core area of the city.
“I believe then there’s an opportunity to have that streetcar meet up with bus routes and things like that,” Ewing said. “Our public transportation today doesn’t work for the most people, and it doesn’t work for people who really need it.”
Stothert said through her Active Mobility Plan, she is focusing on what Omaha commuters use most.
“We have to look at all ways people commute,” Stothert said. “We are a car centric city, and so 85% of the people commute by cars. So, number one was roads.”
She touted the two voter-approved bonds amounting to nearly $400 million that will be used for street repairs. She also said she has plans to expand the streetcar north to the airport, and then move to walking and biking accessibility.
Development and Growth
The city of Omaha has shrunk slightly within the 2020s, though the metro has grown, recently breaking the one million mark. Both candidates said they have intentional plans for development.
Stothert’s plan is to grow and annex west until the city can’t anymore and then begin building up.
“I will say we do have a plan for development all over Omaha,” Stothert said. “It is very intentional…It has to be a combination of suburban growth and urban infill. It has to be both. It has to be new development and preserving our older historic neighborhoods too.”
Ewing said development within the urban core has been good, but there should be more attention paid to North and South Omaha.
“Right now, a lot of development is developer driven,” Ewing said. “That’s important that they have a role in it, and that they are supportive and advising the city as we go forward, but I think there has to be a lot more citizen and civic engagement.”
A spot under heavy scrutiny this election is the Crossroads development near 72nd and Dodge streets. Ewing said the lot has taken too long to materialize. Stothert said Omahans will start to see construction this summer.
Just like the developers, Omaha is at a crossroads, and voters will decide next Tuesday which path the city will take.