As expected Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican, is cruising to an easy reelection win over Democrat RJ Neary.
The first unofficial returns of the night find Stothert leading Neary in the city’s general election, by 34 points. It’s Stothert 66 percent, Neary 34 percent.
While Stothert has had money and incumbency on her side, Neary’s campaign has struggled from the start, although as Neary told NCN a few days ago some things were out of his “control.”
Neary was not specific but two major items stand out.
First the pandemic: It found Stothert holding live weekly news conferences rolling into one Omaha home after another with a variety of updates; that kind of publicity almost invaluable.
And then there was the death of the Mayor’s husband in early March.
Dr. Joe Stothert, a well-respected trauma surgeon, taking his own life at the family’s home in southwest Omaha.
That shock was followed by all five campaigns (Neary, three other Democrats and Mayor Stothert) shutting down for 10 days.
When the campaigns resumed Stothert’s opponents were understandably unable to strongly criticize her, doing so would have been unseemly at best.
All of which leaves the city’s first woman mayor ready to take on an unprecedented third term.
And by the way, it appears she’s ready for more.
Stothert telling News Channel Nebraska a few days ago, that she is not ruling out a run for a fourth term, four years from now.
