Mark Brannen
Mark Brannen ran for election to the Omaha City Council to represent District 1 in Nebraska. He lost in the general election on May 13, 2025.
Brannen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Omaha, Nebraska (2025)
General election
General election for Omaha City Council District 1
Incumbent Pete Festersen defeated Mark Brannen in the general election for Omaha City Council District 1 on May 13, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Pete Festersen (Nonpartisan) | 69.7 | 10,666 |
 | Mark Brannen (Nonpartisan)  | 29.7 | 4,550 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 87 | ||
| Total votes: 15,303 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Omaha City Council District 1
Incumbent Pete Festersen and Mark Brannen advanced from the primary for Omaha City Council District 1 on April 1, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pete Festersen (Nonpartisan) | 65.5 | 7,909 |
| ✔ | | Mark Brannen (Nonpartisan) | 33.9 | 4,097 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 77 | ||
| Total votes: 12,083 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Brannen in this election.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mark Brannen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Brannen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As a farmer, Mark knows the value of hard work. As a small business owner, he knows the importance of gaining the trust of those you serve. He promises to work tirelessly to advocate for strong, safe neighborhoods, improved city services, and smart, responsible budgeting.
Mark and his family are active members of the Benson Neighborhood Association, where he formerly served on the board.
In 2020, Mark and Michelle helped revive the Benson Little League with a commitment to serving all children, regardless of financial status. The once dormant league is now a thriving community asset, poised for continued growth.
Mark is a baseball coach, soccer coach, regular OPS volunteer, and has volunteered countless hours to other organizations around the city.
Mark served one year in the Alumni Volunteer Corps, teaching U.S. and World History at Omaha Creighton Prep. He then worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer at Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, helping to build affordable housing around the Omaha metro. Mark also spent time teaching GED to those incarcerated at Douglas County Corrections.
As your City Council representative, Mark will continue investing in everyone in our community.- The rising cost of housing is an issue that impacts everyone in Omaha. Too many of our neighbors face housing insecurity, a reality that threatens their health and safety and undermines our whole community. The imbalance between the supply and demand of housing units has put a strain on our ability to attract and retain people to our city. We must take a multi-faceted approach to increase the supply of housing in our city in order to promote the health and well-being of our neighbors, foster economic development across the city, and drive growth for the future.
- I plan to dramatically change the manner in which our city council representatives interact with constituents. I will hold open office hours at City Hall every single week, welcoming residents from across Omaha to share their hopes and concerns with me. I will host quarterly town hall meetings throughout the district to keep residents informed and to help myself better understand the issues that everyday people encounter on a daily basis. Instead of a top-down approach, I will always gather input and ideas from the community before implementing a decision. There is wisdom in the crowd, and I will seek out the knowledge and expertise of Omaha residents to help guide me in my actions as a servant leader.
- I am running for Omaha City Council because District 1 deserves new leadership–someone who is accessible, responsive, and dedicated to public service. Members of the city council should work full-time to serve the needs of their constituents and effectively plan for Omaha’s future. As a farmer, I know the value of hard work. As a small business owner, I know the importance of gaining the trust of those you serve. I promise to work tirelessly to advocate for safe, healthy neighborhoods, improved city services, and smart, responsible budgeting. It’s time for new leadership and I hope I have your vote.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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