City Council incumbents advanced handily, while a tight race is underway between South Omaha Democrats Vinny Palermo and Jim Rogers for one of two open Omaha City Council seats, District 4. Rogers, a veteran Democratic Party campaign manager, and Palermo, currently an Omaha Public Schools board member, were in a virtual tie heading into the May 9 general election to represent the historic South Omaha district that this year was expanded to include neighborhoods to the west. All five council incumbents seeking re-election sailed through the primary. Pete Festersen, Ben Gray, Chris Jerram and Aimee Melton led their second-place challengers by large margins. Rich Pahls ran unopposed. Palermo and Rogers each garnered about 38 percent of the vote, outpolling third-place Rebecca-Barrientos Patlan. Fewer than 100 votes separated Rogers and Palermo in unofficial final results Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the race for the other open seat, west Omaha’s District 6, first-time candidate Brinker Harding polled well ahead of fellow qualifier, Republican Dwite Pedersen, former state senator.
MOST CITY COUNCIL INCUMBENTS ADVANCED FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS
