RISE nonprofit executive Jasmine Harris announced a run Tuesday for Omaha mayor. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
OMAHA — Nonprofit executive Jasmine Harris, who has spent years helping Nebraskans re-enter society after serving their criminal sentence, is trying a second time to become Omaha’s mayor.
The director of public policy and advocacy for justice-focused nonprofit RISE announced her bid Tuesday in downtown Omaha, saying that she wants to make sure the City of Omaha and the mayor work better for the people of Omaha and not for 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 can’t stay on the sidelines when I see an opportunity to address the critical issues that are keeping everyday people from thriving in our city,” Harris said.
Tells people her budget will show her priorities
She said Omaha voters would be able to judge her priorities by her budget. She said she would make sure tax-increment financing and other development incentives had more “checks and balances.”
She criticized the lack of progress in the redevelopment at Crossroads Mall and said she shares public questions about the cost of the streetcar project.
“We must ensure that these projects work for everyday people and build up our neighborhood economies and businesses,” she said.
Harris, a Democrat, ran in 2021. She said she is tired of watching City Hall under Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican, cater to developers and corporations.
Choices on left and possibly right
She is the second Democrat to enter the officially nonpartisan April 1 primary, joining Democratic Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing.
Voters on the right might have a choice as well, with Republican Stothert seeking a fourth term and GOP State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former leader of the Omaha fire union, considering a bid.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election on May 13.
Harris and her campaign say they see a path powered by the energy of progressive voters and openness to change after three terms with Stothert.
She pushed back on the assertion of some Democrats that her entry into the race could divide Democratic votes and carve a path to the general election for McDonnell, if he runs.
Harris narrowly finished third in the 2021 mayoral primary to a centrist candidate, RJ Neary, falling short by 1,100 votes. The tightness of the race was a key reason she is running again, she said.
She also relayed a story about her teen daughter, who visited Chicago for a basketball tournament and asked whether they might one day move from Omaha. Harris said she wants to help Omaha be a city where her daughter will want to stay.
“You know, if eight years for a presidency is good enough, eight years for a governorship is good enough, then eight years is good enough for other elected offices,” Harris said.
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