The Nebraska metropolis swung by 43 factors to elect John Ewing Jr. Democrats ought to examine the mannequin he embraced.
Advert Coverage
Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Celebration, speaks on the “Win With Staff” Rally and Press Convention on the DNC Midwestern Candidate Discussion board on January 16, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan.(Aaron J. Thornton / One Truthful Wage by way of Getty Photographs)
This text was initially revealed at The Guardian and is republished right here with permission.
For the final a number of months, the Trump administration’s reckless use of govt energy, commerce coverage, gutting federal businesses and defying court docket orders has gone largely unchecked. Nationwide Democrats have restricted technique of opposition—so one of the best hope for accountability might be electoral accountability.
This may occasionally assist clarify why final Tuesday’s election ends in America’s forty first greatest metropolis generated such outsized pleasure from progressives. John Ewing Jr., a longtime county treasurer, was elected the primary Black mayor of Omaha, defeating the incumbent Jean Stothert, who was looking for a fourth time period after holding that workplace since 2013. Greater than that, Ewing received huge, by almost 13 factorsmarking 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 Celebration 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 the town however for the way it might mirror the nation as an entire. Omaha’s congressional seat—Nebraska’s second—is a real swing district, one in all 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 almost within the geographic middle 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 Celebration, 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 sure different vice-chairsKleeb and the Nebraska Democratic Celebration have continued their long-standing concentrate on the day-to-day work.
Within the waning days of the Omaha mayoral election, Stothert tried to negatively polarize voters towards Ewing by nationalizing the race—and, particularly, hammering the GOP’s favourite wedge difficulty goal of late: trans individuals. As my colleague John Nichols wrote about final week for The Nation, this didn’t work. As an alternative, Ewing refused to take the bait and stored his concentrate on tangible municipal points—similar to housing, avenue paving and even a struggling streetcar mission. In a easy graphic launched three days earlier than the election, the Nebraska Democratic Celebration proudly declared: “Jean is concentrated on potties. John is concentrated on fixing potholes.”
Present Situation
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 Celebration to compete in unfavorable territory. Kleeb has lengthy 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 phrases: “In rural and small cities we might not use the phrase ‘local weather change’ within the first 5 sentences, however all the pieces we’re doing is speaking about defending the land and water.”
And progressives in Nebraska know a factor or two in regards to the worth of avoiding poisonous political labels. When the navy veteran, mechanic and union chief Dan Osborn ran a populist, unbiased marketing campaign for Senate final 12 months, the Nebraska Democratic Celebration stepped apart and selected to not run a candidate. Whereas Osborn and the state social gathering had their variations—and he finally misplaced—this unorthodox technique confirmed critical upside. Osborn got here nearer to defeating the incumbent Republican than another challenger within the 2024 cycle; now he’s a 2026 run in way 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 Celebration—the identical function 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 lately introduced that the nationwide group might be contributing extra to state events as a part of a reemerging 50-state technique.
However even when Kleeb’s ascendance solely meant that the Democratic Celebration acquired higher at competing in Nebraska, it may show decisive. On condition that the Home is presently 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 final cyclemight nicely retire earlier than he has an opportunity to lose.
Whether or not the race for Congress in 2026 comes right down to Omaha itself or someplace prefer it, Democratic victories will depend upon a nationwide effort to take a position as deeply in native issues as Kleeb and Ewing have. That technique may be summed up with a mantra that Kleeb has repeated time and time once more—what you might name Jane’s chorus: “Once we set up all over the place, we are able to win wherever!”
Katrina Vanden Heuvel
Katrina vanden Heuvel is editorial director and writer of The Nation, America’s main supply of progressive politics and tradition. She served as editor of the journal from 1995 to 2019.
Extra from The Nation
Final night time, the president’s damaging spending invoice handed the Home by a single vote.
Chris Lehmann
The costs towards McIver are a type of political intimidation directed with specific power towards Black politicians—however it can work provided that the individuals don’t have her again.
Elie Mystal
Charlie Kushner, the newly confirmed US ambassador to France, is a vindictive, felonious, and score-settling actual property mogul, not not like a sure US president.
Elizabeth Spiers
Sixteen senators backed a disastrous invoice that enshrines the crypto business’s flagrant abuses into regulation.
Chris Lehmann
