Six candidates are running in the general election for three seats on the Omaha Public Power District Board on Nov. 3, 2026. Sara Kohen and Christian Mapes are running for Subdivision 1. Mark Gudgel and Jay Ignowski are running for Subdivision 2. Carol Blood and Jim Smith are running for Subdivision 3. The incumbents in Subdivisions 1 and 2 retired, while incumbent Mary Spurgeon lost renomination in Subdivision 3.
The Omaha Public Power District is a publicly owned utility that provides electricity to the city of Omaha and its surrounding areas, serving over 900,000 people. Its energy sources include natural gas, coal, oil, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. The board consists of eight elected members who elect a CEO to lead the utility.
The Downballot's David Nir and Jeff Singer wrote that Democratic-aligned candidates "have the chance to win a majority on the governing board of one of Nebraska’s largest utility companies after [Carol Blood and Mark Gudgel] advanced out of [the May 12] primaries to the November general election. ... If [Blood, Gudgel, and Sara Kohen were] successful, they would join with two like-minded incumbents, Craig Moody and Eric Williams, to form a majority on OPPD’s board." If the three candidates won, Democratic-aligned candidates would have five seats. If Mapes and Smith won, the board would be tied. Ignowski is Democratic-aligned.
Although the elections are nonpartisan, various organizations and public officials have endorsed candidates. The Democratic Party of Douglas County endorsed Gudgel and Kohen, while the Democratic Party of Sarpy County endorsed Blood. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R) endorsed Mapes, and former Gov. Dave Heineman (R) endorsed Mapes and Smith. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers endorsed Ignowski. Additionally, the current CEO, Javier Fernandez, has announced his intention to resign at the end of 2026, meaning the new members will help select a successor.
Subdivision 1 voted for Kamala Harris (D) over Donald Trump (R) 51% to 48% in 2024. Kohen is an attorney who wrote in her Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey response that she would "work to keep rates as low as possible while maintaining safety and reliability." Mapes is an energy consultant who wrote in his survey response that he would "evaluate generation, storage, transmission, and demand-side resources based on full delivered cost, seasonal accredited capacity, operational reliability, fuel and market risk, and system needs."
Subdivision 2 voted for Harris over Trump 65% to 34% in 2024. Gudgel is a college professor who wrote in his survey response that he would "work hard to ensure that the labor unions and all workers are treated with respect and fairly compensated for the critical work they do, and that we do more to recruit and retain more permanent union employees." Ignowski is an electrician whose campaign website says, "As a 25-year member of IBEW Local 22 and a 2006 graduate of their apprenticeship program, he possesses a technical understanding of the power grid that few candidates can match."
Subdivision 3 voted for Trump over Harris 52% to 46% in 2024. Blood is a former state senator and candidate for governor in 2022. Her campaign website says she would "bring independent, experienced leadership to OPPD that prioritizes ratepayers." Smith is a business consultant whose campaign website says he would "[p]ush back on unnecessary rate increases to keep power costs competitive for families and businesses."