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 […]
Voting
OMAHA MAYOR’S RACE GOES FORWARD WITH TWO FAVORITES
Heath Mello finished within three percentage points of Jean Stothert, the Omaha Mayor incumbent, during the Primary Elections on Tuesday, April 4. It is expected that more people will almost certainly vote in the general election, May 9, particularly because Mello came within striking distance of Stothert. Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse predicted 23 […]
LOCAL POLITICS: City Finalists Are Set, Post Primary Update
Mayoral Race The 2017 City of Omaha Primary election on April 4 established the contenders for the 2017 City of Omaha General election on May 9. Current Mayor, Jean Stothert, and former Nebraska state senator, Heath Mello, will face off next month. Stothert ranked in first place with 44 percent of the votes, while Mello […]
SOUTH OMAHA ́S CHOICES FOR CITY COUNCIL | City Primary Election is April 4
Voters in South Omaha’s City Council District 4 will see three candidates on their ballots: Jim Rogers, Vinny Palermo, and Rebecca Barrientos-Patlan. There is an official write-in candidate as well, Kimara Snipe. However, her name will not appear on the ballot. Jim Rogers, a Democrat, is a South Omaha native and the former Outreach Director […]
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR VOTER ID
Unicameral lawmakers are looking to change the way Nebraskans vote. Senators listened to testimony last week on a proposed constitutional amendment, requiring voters to show identification before they cast their ballot. Those in support say it’s about keeping the election process safe from fraud, voting is a precious right and should be protected as such, […]
SOUTH OMAHA CONSIDERED BELLWETHER IN MAYORAL ELECTION
Omaha mayoral candidate Heath Mello, a Democrat who was a state senator from South Omaha, is challenging Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican, in this year’s officially nonpartisan mayoral election. South Omaha has played a kingmaker role in recent elections, according to a recent article in the Omaha World-Herald. In the most recent presidential race, Clinton […]
New Voter ID Amendment
Senator John Murante (R) from Nebraska Legislative District 49, representing the Gretna area, recently proposed a constitutional amendment that would create voter identification requirements for all Nebraskans. “This is a little more than what we have seen in the past,” says Bri McLarty, Director of Voting Rights at Nebraskans for Civic Reform. “In the […]
As Trump Conjures the Voter Fraud Boogeyman, Voter Suppression is the Real Issue
Reprinted with permission from New America Media As Donald Trump roams the country encouraging hatred of immigrants and distrust of the election process, in many places it’s immigrants and minorities who have reason to worry – about being blocked from the polls. This November 8th will be the first presidential election since the 2013 Shelby […]
Tony Vargas
Nebraska Legislative District 7 candidate Tony Vargas canvasses homes wearing shoes with soles worn to the nub. Even though his feet get wet on rainy days, he intentionally sticks with that same beat-up footwear. “It is a reminder that if I’m not knocking on doors, I’m not doing enough,” said Vargas, 32. “There is […]
Latino Voters: Invisible no more
The Heartland Workers Center’s theme for the Get out the Vote campaign is “I Vote for My Family”. Sergio Sosa, Executive Director for the Heartland Workers Center, says they chose the theme because many Latinos have strong familial ties or ties to the small cities they are from. “Every vote counts and every vote will […]
