In addition to selecting party nominees for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and other high-profile races, Douglas County residents also voted for nominees for several down-ballot races, including three districts on the Douglas County Board. Voters also selected nominees for Douglas County attorney, treasurer and clerk of the district court.
Results are current as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Further results from the Douglas County Election Commission are not expected to be released until Friday.
Douglas County Board
Two incumbent Douglas County Board members are facing primary challenges for their seats. Meanwhile, two Republican candidates in District 6 are facing off for the right to advance to November's general election for the seat currently occupied by the retiring Mary Ann Borgeson.
In the Democratic primary for District 2, incumbent board member Jim Cavanaugh is narrowly trailing challenger Whitney Hansen, a Millard Public Schools high school teacher and community organizer. Hansen leads Cavanaugh 4,128 votes to 3,940.
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Hansen, who has never run for political office before, is not declaring victory.
"I'm not letting myself hope yet," Hansen said Wednesday.
Cavanaugh declined to comment Wednesday pending the release of further results.
District 2 covers south-central Omaha and Ralston.
Cavanaugh, an Omaha attorney, was first elected to the Douglas County Board in 2014. With no other political parties putting up primary candidates, the District 2 Democratic winner will be on the County Board barring a successful write-in campaign.
In the District 4 Republican primary, incumbent board member P.J. Morgan turned back a challenge from Chris Chappelear, an Omaha small-business owner and Republican Party activist. As of Wednesday, Morgan held a lead of 5,592 votes (69%) to Chappelear's 2,505 (31%).
Morgan, a business owner and former Omaha mayor, was first elected to the Douglas County Board in 2010.
District 4 includes west Omaha.
With no other political parties putting up primary candidates, Morgan will continue to be on the board come next year barring a successful write-in campaign.
"I'm really appreciative of my reelection," he said Wednesday.
In the District 6 Republican primary, Waterloo Police Chief Tim Donahue held a lead of slightly more than 1,000-votes over former Omaha City Council member Colleen Brennan. Donahue has 3,807 votes (58%) to Brennan's 2,735 (42%) as of Wednesday.
Donahue expressed confidence in his victory as called the support he has received "pretty incredible."
"I think I have a good rapport with most of the hardworking people," he said of the primary voters.
Barring a significant late break of the outstanding ballots toward Brennan, Donahue will advance to the Nov. 3 general election against Democrat John McCann. The general election winner will succeed Borgeson, who opted not to seek reelection after 32 years on the board.
District 6 covers southwest Douglas County.
Douglas County treasurer
Former State Sen. Tony Vargas handily beat Christian Espinosa Torres, assistant director of Human Rights and Relations for the City of Omaha, in the Democratic primary to likely become the next Douglas County treasurer.
As of Wednesday, Vargas led Espinosa Torres by more than 30,000 votes. Vargas has received 40,281 votes (81%) while Espinosa Torres has received 9,372 votes (19%).
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to have won last night’s Douglas County Treasurer primary election," Vargas said in a Wednesday statement. "I believe we have an opportunity to continue building on that work by improving transparency, strengthening accountability for taxpayer dollars, and ensuring the Treasurer’s Office works effectively and responsibly on behalf of the people of Douglas County.”
No other parties put up candidates in the race. That means Vargas will become county treasurer next year barring a successful write-in campaign.
Vargas is set return to elected office after being term-limited out of the Legislature last year. He was the Democratic nominee for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District in 2022 and 2024 and was an Omaha Public Schools board member.
Espinosa Torres has been employed by the City of Omaha since 2017, including in his current position since 2023. Before assuming his current position, he was the city's Small and Emerging Business Program administrator. Espinosa Torres also worked as a constituent services representative in the late U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford's office.
The county treasurer position was held by John Ewing before Ewing’s election as Omaha's mayor last year. Tim Cavanaugh, who's running for a seat on the Metropolitan Utilities District Board, has been serving out the rest of Ewing’s treasurer term.
Douglas County District Court clerk
Former State Sen. Justin Wayne held a strong lead over Omaha attorney Tom Barrett in the Democratic primary in a Douglas County District Court cerk race that does not have candidates from any other political party.
As of Wednesday Wayne led Barrett by more than 10,000 votes — 27,924 (61%) to 17,623 (39%).
Wayne's likely victory means he is set to return to elected office one year after being term-limited out of the Legislature. Before serving in the Legislature, Wayne was president of the OPS board. Wayne is an Omaha attorney.
When reached Wednesday, Wayne thanked the volunteers who helped with his campaign.
Despite finishing behind Wayne, Barrett said Wednesday he's happy with how he campaigned.
"I worked hard. But the other guy got more votes," Barrett said.
Barrett said he ran for the district clerk court position 20 years ago. Since then, he was elected to the Omaha Public Power District Board, where he served from 2013 to 2018. Barrett was previously a deputy Douglas County attorney but now operates his own legal practice.
Wayne is set to succeed Crystal Rhoades as district court clerk since no other parties put up candidates. Rhoades unsuccessfully pursued the Democratic nomination to represent Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Wayne said he will reach out to Rhoades next week to discuss the transition.
