The Nebraska metropolis swung by 43 factors to elect John Ewing Jr. Democrats ought to examine the mannequin he embraced.
For the final a number of months, the Trump administration’s reckless use of executive power, trade policy, gutting federal agencies and defying court orders has gone largely unchecked. Nationwide Democrats have restricted technique of opposition—so the most effective hope for accountability can be electoral accountability.
This may increasingly assist clarify why final Tuesday’s election ends in America’s 41st biggest metropolis generated such outsized excitement from progressives. John Ewing Jr., a longtime county treasurer, was elected the primary Black mayor of Omaha, defeating the incumbent Jean Stothert, who was searching for a fourth time period after holding that workplace since 2013. Greater than that, Ewing received massive, by practically 13 points, marking an enormous shift after Stothert received her final race by 30.
Ewing ran a substantive, extremely localized marketing campaign that constructed upon many years of credibility he earned as a public servant—supplemented by the long-standing work of the Nebraska Democratic Social gathering to construct coalitions in a historically deep-red state. In swinging this race by 43 factors, they’ve each impressed hope that the political winds could also be shifting, and offered a mannequin for Democrats to achieve 2026 and past.
The ends in Omaha are significant not for the size of town however for the way it might replicate the nation as an entire. Omaha’s congressional seat—Nebraska’s second—is a real swing district, certainly one of solely three within the nation that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024 whereas additionally electing a Republican to Congress. It’s a various, medium-size, Midwestern metropolis—and if that isn’t sufficient to convey its heartland standing, it’s practically within the geographic center of the contiguous United States.
For all of those causes, it’s instructive for Democrats to know the technique of the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Social gathering, who now serves as president of the Affiliation of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) and a DNC vice-chair: Jane Kleeb. In a second when a lot media consideration has been centered on inside procedural drama surrounding certain other vice-chairs, Kleeb and the Nebraska Democratic Social gathering have continued their long-standing deal with the day-to-day work.
Within the waning days of the Omaha mayoral election, Stothert tried to negatively polarize voters in opposition to Ewing by nationalizing the race—and, specifically, hammering the GOP’s favourite wedge problem goal of late: trans people. As my colleague John Nichols wrote about final week for The Nation, this did not work. As an alternative, Ewing refused to take the bait and stored his deal with tangible municipal points—corresponding to housing, street paving and even a struggling streetcar project. In a easy graphic launched three days earlier than the election, the Nebraska Democratic Social gathering proudly declared: “Jean is concentrated on potties. John is concentrated on fixing potholes.”
Present Concern
As hundreds of Democrats throughout the nation search election up and down the poll in 2026, they too may decline to debate on Republican phrases and as a substitute run campaigns relentlessly centered on enhancing their constituents’ lives.
Profitable as this marketing campaign was, it additionally builds upon statewide efforts from the Nebraska Democratic Social gathering to compete in unfavorable territory. Kleeb has long advocated for Democrats to carry out direct outreach to rural voters—and it’s not the identical factor as pandering. As an alternative, it means recognizing actual issues that, say, farmers are experiencing and providing sensible options.
In her words: “In rural and small cities we might not use the phrase ‘local weather change’ within the first 5 sentences, however the whole lot we’re doing is speaking about defending the land and water.”
And progressives in Nebraska know a factor or two concerning the worth of avoiding poisonous political labels. When the navy veteran, mechanic and union chief Dan Osborn ran a populist, impartial marketing campaign for Senate final yr, the Nebraska Democratic Social gathering stepped apart and selected to not run a candidate. Whereas Osborn and the state celebration had their differences—and he in the end misplaced—this unorthodox technique confirmed severe upside. Osborn got here nearer to defeating the incumbent Republican than some other challenger within the 2024 cycle; now he’s taking a look at a 2026 run in rather more favorable circumstances.
With classes to study from the success in Nebraska, it’s encouraging that Kleeb now holds a distinguished management place within the nationwide Democratic Social gathering—the identical position that Ken Martin held earlier than he turned chair. As head of the ASDC, Kleeb is nicely positioned to work with all 50 state chairs to get them the sources they want—and it is going to be all 50, as she and the DNC just lately introduced that the nationwide group can be contributing more to state events as a part of a reemerging 50-state technique.
However even when Kleeb’s ascendance solely meant that the Democratic Social gathering acquired higher at competing in Nebraska, it may show decisive. Provided that the Home is at the moment held by Republicans by a handful of seats (give or take no matter disgraced resignations occur between now and subsequent November), the race in Nebraska’s second district may very nicely be the tipping level for management of the decrease chamber. Consultant Don Bacon, who held on to his seat by lower than two factors within the last cycle, might nicely retire earlier than he has an opportunity to lose.
Whether or not the race for Congress in 2026 comes all the way down to Omaha itself or someplace prefer it, Democratic victories will rely upon a nationwide effort to take a position as deeply in native considerations as Kleeb and Ewing have. That technique could be summed up with a mantra that Kleeb has repeated time and time once more—what you might name Jane’s chorus: “Once we arrange all over the place, we will win wherever!”
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