Mike McDonnell runs for Mayor

Acknowledging the worst-kept secret in Omaha, former fire chief and state senator Mike McDonnell finally made it official on Thursday night — he’s running for Mayor. He made the announcement at the Omaha Firefighters Union Hall at 60th and Grover to a crowd of around 200–300 people.

McDonnell is unique in Nebraska politics, straddling the line between Republicans and Democrats and finding friends and enemies on both sides. He made headlines earlier this year when, as a pro-life Democrat, he voted to support Kathleen Kauth’s Let Them Grow Act, which placed restrictions on abortion and transgender treatments for minors. He was then censured by his fellow Democrats and shortly thereafter switched parties to become a Republican.

McDonnell made headlines again later this year by stymying Republican plans to switch Nebraska’s allocation of electoral votes to a “winner take all” system. At his campaign event, former Mayor Mike Fahey gave an endorsement and specifically thanked McDonnell for this.

“One of the most outstanding things he’s done is to keep the blue dot,” Fahey said. “That made a big difference in this city. And Omaha will still be heard because of the action that Mike McDonnell took by standing strong about keeping that election and the blue dot in the second congressional district.”

Also joining McDonnell on stage were two fellow Republicans — former Omaha Mayor PJ Morgan and former OPOA President Tony Connor. The guests included Republican state senators like Steve Halloran and Independent US Senate candidate Dan Osborn, who McDonnell supported in his race against Deb Fischer.

McDonnell’s stump speech had strong populist undertones, tying criticism of the Omaha Streetcar project to incumbent Mayor Jean Stothert’s unwillingness to listen to her constituents.

“Why are we looking at 100-year-old technology for a three-mile area with a streetcar?” McDonnell asked. “I’ve had people come to me and say, ‘what about the idea of an L Street expressway, similar to Dodge Street?’ … Public transportation should be for the public and not for the developers. I think that’s what’s going on right now with the streetcar. Again, if the people of Omaha wanted it, then I would embrace that and then represent them. It’s not about me. It’s about we.”

McDonnell will be joining two Democrats, John Ewing and Jasmine Harris, in challenging incumbent Jean Stothert. Only one of them will be able to advance to the general election, but McDonnell’s ability to pull votes from both parties might make him a formidable candidate. I asked McDonnell if he, as a new member of the Republican Party, would be seeking the endorsement of the Douglas County Republican Party. He said that he would.