Omaha Mayor Loses Reelection After Anti-Trans Campaign Backfires
John Ewing’s decisive victory over Republican incumbent Jean Stothert in Omaha’s mayoral race marks a significant rebuke of anti-transgender campaign tactics. Stothert’s campaign heavily focused on anti-transgender messaging, mirroring national trends, but this strategy proved ineffective against a counter-campaign highlighting the mayor’s neglect of city issues. Ewing’s win, the first for a Black mayor in Omaha, signals potential voter fatigue with culture war politics and suggests a shift in the effectiveness of anti-transgender rhetoric in swing districts. This outcome carries implications for future elections, particularly for Rep. Don Bacon’s upcoming reelection campaign, which has similarly relied on anti-trans talking points.
John Q. Hosedrinker