Incumbent Jean Stothert and John Ewing Jr. are running in the nonpartisan election for mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, on May 13, 2025. Both advanced from the April 1 top-two primary, where Stothert received 37% of the vote and Ewing received 31.9%.

Omaha World Herald‘s Henry J. Cordes and Julie Anderson wrote, “While the mayor’s race is officially nonpartisan… that doesn’t mean partisan politics doesn’t come into play.” In Omaha, Democrats are 39% of the electorate, and Republicans are 33%. Consultant Ryan Horn said the results of the primary and higher turnout in the general election would help Ewing: “I think the Democrats overperformed, and I think Jean underperformed — and that will make people think, ‘There’s a race to be had here.”

Stothert was first elected in 2013. She is campaigning on her record: “My vision for the future is obviously to make sure that I see a lot of projects that we started finished, but continue to help Omaha grow and thrive and attract more jobs and businesses here.” Stothert says she wants to improve public safety and says on her website, “Public safety is my top priority… As we move forward, I pledge to maintain leadership in innovative policing and emergency response.” Stothert is affiliated with the Republican Party.

Ewing Jr. is the treasurer of Douglas County. He is campaigning on his experience, saying, “I have a proven track record of 42 years of public service. . . . when I ran for re-election, I had the highest vote totals in both of those elections, so I believe that shows the citizens are happy with the level of leadership I’m providing in the treasurer’s office.” He wants to spur economic growth in the city. His website says, “We will actively work to attract new businesses, support local entrepreneurs, and invest in infrastructure projects that will stimulate economic development and job creation.” Ewing Jr. is affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Ewing has campaigned on a message of change and said the primary results showed that “65% of voters wanted a new mayor… The most important thing an elected leader can do is be responsive.” Stothert says her record in office has been representative of the city and said, “When I became mayor, I said ‘I will be the mayor for everyone,’ and I think over the past last 12 years, I’ve showed that.”

Omaha is one of 25 of the 100 most populous U.S. cities with a Republican mayor. It ranks as the 38th largest U.S. city and the sixth largest Republican-led city. For more information on the partisan affiliation of the top 100 mayors in the U.S., click here.

This page covers the general election. For information on the April 1 primary, click here.