Jasmine Harris, director of RISE, announced a run for mayor of Omaha on Tuesday. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
OMAHA – Jasmine Harris, director of a nonprofit organization that has spent years helping Nebraskans reenter society after serving their sentences, is seeking to become mayor of Omaha for a second time.
The director of public policy and advocacy for the justice-focused nonprofit RISE announced her bid Tuesday in downtown Omaha, saying she wants to ensure the city of Omaha and its mayor work better for the people of Omaha and not special interests.
Harris said she would prioritize making Omaha safer and healthier for people in every neighborhood. She said she wants to make housing more affordable and economic development more equitable.
“I cannot sit on the sidelines when I see an opportunity to address the critical issues that keep everyday people from thriving in our city,” Harris said.
Tells people that her budget will reflect her priorities
She said Omaha voters would be able to judge her priorities by her budget. She said she would ensure that tax increment financing and other development incentives have more checks and balances.
She criticized the lack of progress on the Crossroads Mall redevelopment and said she shares public questions about the cost of the streetcar project.
“We need to make sure these projects work for everyday people and build our neighboring economies and businesses,” she said.
Harris, a Democrat, was a candidate in 2021. She said she was tired of seeing City Hall under Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican, target developers and businesses.
Choices left and possibly right
She is the second Democrat to participate in the officially nonpartisan April 1 primary, joining Democratic Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing.
Voters on the right may also have a choice, with Republican Stothert seeking a fourth term and Republican Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former leader of the Omaha firefighters union, considering a bid.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election on May 13.
Harris and her campaign say that after three terms in Stothert, they see a path driven by progressive voters’ energy and openness to change.
She pushed back on claims by some Democrats that her entry into the race could split the Democratic vote and pave a path to the general election for McDonnell, if he were to run.
Harris narrowly finished third in the 2021 mayoral primary, behind a centrist candidate, RJ Neary, and fell short by 1,100 votes. The excitement of the race was a big reason she’s running again, she said.
She also told a story about her teenage daughter, who was visiting Chicago for a basketball tournament and asked if they could move from Omaha one day. Harris said she wants to help Omaha become a city where her daughter wants to stay.
“You know, if eight years is good enough for a presidency, eight years is good enough for a governorship, then eight years is good enough for other elected offices,” Harris said.
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