Douglas and Lancaster County tallies boost Democrats and nonpartisans in Nebraska races

Election officials in Douglas and Lancaster Counties released new unofficial results on Friday, November 6, showing increased vote counts for Democrats and registered nonpartisans in several races. The updated tallies primarily affected local and legislative contests in and around Omaha and Lincoln, where Democratic candidates had already secured victories. Statewide and congressional races remained largely unchanged by the new data.

In Nebraska's 1st Congressional District, incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood retained his four-point lead over Democrat Chris Backemeyer. Backemeyer added approximately 1,500 votes in Lancaster County on Friday, but Flood maintained a district-wide lead of nearly 9,000 votes according to the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office. Similarly, Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts held a six-percentage-point statewide lead over registered nonpartisan Dan Osborn. Osborn gained about 1,800 votes in Lancaster County and nearly 2,500 in Douglas County, but the shift did not alter the statewide outcome.

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen saw his lead over former Fremont State Sen. Lynne Walz narrow by one percentage point. Walz added roughly 1,700 votes in Lancaster County and just over 2,500 in Douglas County. In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic Rep-elect Denise Powell widened her lead in Douglas County over Republican Omaha City Council Member Brinker Harding by nearly 2,500 votes. Powell now leads Harding by 16 percentage points, with 57% of the vote in the district.

Legislative results in the Omaha area reflected similar trends. In District 4, registered nonpartisan challenger Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek flipped the seat from Republican control. Her lead over incumbent Sen. Brad von Gillern grew from 292 votes early Wednesday to 370 votes on Friday. Maxwell-Ostdiek maintains a 51% to 49% margin. Von Gillern conceded the race Friday, and Maxwell-Ostdiek will serve as the sole registered nonpartisan in the Legislature once results are certified.

Maxwell-Ostdiek stated in a Facebook post that she was incredibly honored by the voters' choice. She described the campaign as an unforgettable experience and expressed gratitude to supporters. Von Gillern, who chairs the Revenue Committee and was viewed as a potential future speaker, sent a statement wishing Maxwell-Ostdiek success. He noted that her success would be a benefit to Nebraska and acknowledged the difficulty of the job.

In District 18, Democrat Jess Goldoni increased her lead over Republican Taylor Royal from 367 votes to 476 votes. Goldoni holds a 51% to 49% lead. Royal conceded on election night. The district previously flipped from Republican to Democratic control when incumbent Sen. Christy Armendariz declined to run and endorsed Royal. Goldoni is a marketer and supporter of artificial intelligence initiatives.

In District 12, Democrat Christy Knorr, a hospice nurse from Ralston, expanded her lead over Republican State Sen. Merv Riepe from slightly over 1,300 votes to more than 1,400 votes. Knorr maintains a 12-percentage-point advantage. The district has seen shifts in party control over the past several years.

Local executive races in Douglas County also showed increased margins for Democratic challengers. Omaha city prosecutor Makayla Danner extended her lead over incumbent County Attorney Don Kleine from about 12,000 votes to more than 13,000 votes. Danner leads Kleine 53% to 47%. Kleine, a five-term incumbent, conceded Wednesday. Retired Omaha deputy police chief Mark Martinez widened his lead over incumbent Sheriff Aaron Hanson to more than 20,000 votes, leading 55% to 45%. Hanson conceded Tuesday night.

In the Omaha Public Power District Subdivision 2 race, Jay Ignowski maintained an approximate 2,000-vote lead over Mark Gudgel. These results complete the latest round of unofficial counts for the major metropolitan areas in the state.