An Omaha, Nebraska mayoral candidate made history on Tuesday as he clinched victory over a longtime Republican incumbent in a race that should have been a “slam-dunk” for the GOP, according to the state’s Republican governor.
Democrat John Ewing Jr. will become Omaha’s first Black mayor after defeating Jean Stothert, who was seeking a fourth term as the first female leader of Nebraska’s largest city, NBC News reported. The race was officially non-partisan, but Stothert had aligned herself with the Trump administration and GOP policies over her years in office, to which Ewing countered with a Democratic stance in his campaign.
“We embark on a new chapter, Ewing said Tuesday to a room of screaming supporters as Stothert conceded. “I am deeply honored and humbled to stand before you today as your mayor elect.”
On X, top Democrat Hakeem Jeffries added, “Another big win for the Democratic Party.”
Ewing led the race by 10,900 votes with just under 90,000 votes counted late Tuesday. Around 7,000 votes were left before Stothert threw in the towel.
In a Tuesday speech around 9:15 p.m., Stothert remained stoic in the face of defeat, telling reporters she had called Ewing to congratulate him, KETV Omaha reported.
“John Ewing is inheriting tonight a great city, and we leave a strong foundation for the city that we love. We are grateful, and we are hopeful,” Stothert said.
Yet the surprise defeat seemed to spark fear among GOP members such as Gov. Jim Pillen, who warned Republican supporters at Stothert’s campaign party that they “just didn’t get the vote out.”
Republican voters particularly in the west of the city need to reflect because Stothert’s re-election should have been in the bag, said Pillien, First Alert 6 reported.
“Elections matter. Leadership matters. Conservative leadership matters. I hope that all of us can take a bite into that apple and make sure we don’t forget, and make sure that we play a role,” he said.
In social media comments, Democratic strategists described Stothert’s loss as a “political shockwave” that has left Republicans “panicking,” adding that the city’s mayoral election often acts as a barometer for wider political shifts.
“Don’t sleep on how massive the upset in Omaha was last night,” wrote Mike Nellis, a former Kamala Harris adviser. “Jean Stothert wasn’t just any mayor—she was seen as unbeatable.”
Although Nebraska has frequently considered a red state, the state registers more Democratic Party members than Republicans. Under Stothert, Omaha was one of America’s most populous cities to boast a Republican mayor.
Democrats reportedly tried and failed to boot Stothert in 2017, the start of Trump‘s first term. Democrats have also attempted to unseat the Omaha area Congressional representative Don Bacon, who retained his seat by only two points last November against a Democratic challenger Tony Vargas.
The Omaha mayoral election race had turned nasty in its final weeks with attack ads waged against Ewing and Stothert.
One ad claimed that Ewing “stands with radicals who want to allow boys in girls’ sports.” Ewing said he wouldn‘t respond to hypothetical questions and that he hasn‘t dealt with transgender issues in his most recent role as county treasurer.
Meanwhile Ewing ran an ad that connected Stothert with the Trump administration, leading the incumbent mayor to sarcastically respond: “Donald Trump does not call me and ask for advice.”
