Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Mayoral election in Lincoln, Nebraska (2019)
 |
Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls • How to run for office |
 |
2021 →
← 2017
|
| 2019 Lincoln elections |
|---|
 |
| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: March 7, 2019 |
| Primary election: April 9, 2019 General election: May 7, 2019 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor, city council, and airport authority |
| Total seats up: 6 (click here for other city elections) |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2019 |
The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, held a general election for mayor on May 7, 2019. A primary was scheduled for April 9, 2019. The filing deadline for this election was March 7, 2019.
Although candidates had the option to file with political parties, city elections were nonpartisan and political parties did not appear on the ballot.
Leirion Gaylor Baird won election in the general election for Mayor of Lincoln.
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
Candidates and results
General election
General election for Mayor of Lincoln
Leirion Gaylor Baird defeated Cyndi Lamm in the general election for Mayor of Lincoln on May 7, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Leirion Gaylor Baird (Nonpartisan) | 54.5 | 33,692 |
 | Cyndi Lamm (Nonpartisan) | 45.3 | 27,994 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 176 | ||
| Total votes: 61,862 | |||
 = 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 Mayor of Lincoln
Leirion Gaylor Baird and Cyndi Lamm defeated Jeff Kirkpatrick, Krystal Gabel, and Rene Solc in the primary for Mayor of Lincoln on April 9, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Leirion Gaylor Baird (Nonpartisan) | 41.9 | 21,660 |
| ✔ | | Cyndi Lamm (Nonpartisan) | 35.8 | 18,527 |
 | Jeff Kirkpatrick (Nonpartisan) | 16.7 | 8,665 | |
 | Krystal Gabel (Nonpartisan) | 4.4 | 2,301 | |
| Rene Solc (Nonpartisan) | 0.9 | 451 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 129 | ||
| Total votes: 51,733 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
- The Lincoln Journal Star endorsed Leirion Gaylor Baird on March 26, 2019.[1]
Debates and forums
- Leirion Gaylor Baird, Jeff Kirkpatrick, Cyndi Lamm, and Rene Solc participated in a candidate forum on March 30, 2019. The forum was hosted by the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters, NeighborWorks Lincoln, and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.[2]
Past elections
2015
The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, held elections for mayor on May 5, 2015. A primary election took place on April 7, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 6, 2015. Four of the seven city council seats were up for election.[3] In the primary election for mayor, incumbent Chris Beutler and Andy Stebbing advanced past Rene Solc.[4] Beutler defeated Stebbing in the general election on May 5.[5][6]
| Mayor of Lincoln, General Election, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
 Chris Beutler Incumbent |
53% | 24,610 | |
| Andy Stebbing | 47% | 21,840 | |
| Total Votes | 46,450 | ||
| Source: Lancaster County Election Commissioner, "Official general election results," accessed May 19, 2015 | |||
| Mayor of Lincoln, Primary Election, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Chris Beutler Incumbent |
53% | 19,342 | |
| Andy Stebbing |
43.8% | 16,007 | |
| Rene Solc | 3.2% | 1,175 | |
| Total Votes | 36,524 | ||
| Source: Lancaster County Election Commissioner, "Official primary election results," accessed May 10, 2015 | |||
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Nebraska elections, 2019
Mayoral partisanship
Once mayors elected in 2019 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Out of the 31 mayoral elections that were held in 2019 in the 100 largest cities, five partisan changes occurred. Democrats gained three mayorships: two previously held by Republicans and one previously held by an independent. Republicans won one office held by an unaffiliated mayor, and one office where the incumbent's partisan affiliation was unknown.
In the elections in Phoenix, Arizona and Wichita, Kansas, Democrats won seats with Republican incumbents. In Wichita, Democrat Brandon Whipple defeated Republican incumbent Jeff Longwell. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a Democrat won a seat previously held by an independent. In Aurora, Colorado, a Republican succeeded an unaffiliated mayor. In Garland, Texas, a Republican succeeded a mayor with unknown party affiliation. Incumbents did not seek re-election in Phoenix, Raleigh, Aurora, or Garland.
Click here to learn more.
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in local elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many areas. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local election. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
|
|
Ballotpedia invites candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
About the city
- See also: Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of Nebraska. It is located in Lancaster County. As of 2010, its population was 258,379.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Lincoln uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[7]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | Nebraska | |
| Population | 258,379 | 1,826,341 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 96 | 76,817 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 84.9% | 87.1% |
| Black/African American | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Asian | 4.6% | 2.4% |
| Native American | 0.7% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | 1.5% | 2.1% |
| Multiple | 3.9% | 2.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.6% | 10.9% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93.3% | 91.4% |
| College graduation rate | 39.6% | 31.9% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $57,746 | $61,439 |
| Persons below poverty level | 13.5% | 11.1% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
State profile
- See also: Nebraska and Nebraska elections, 2019
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019
Presidential voting pattern
- Nebraska voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from Nebraska were Republicans.
- All three of Nebraska's U.S. Representatives were Republicans.
State executives
- Democrats held one and Republicans held 10 of Nebraska's 21 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- Nebraska's governor was Republican Pete Ricketts.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Nebraska State Senate with a 30-18 majority, although senators are technically nonpartisan.
Nebraska Party Control: 1992-2024
Seven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
|
|
| Demographic data for Nebraska | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,893,765 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 76,824 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 88.1% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 4.7% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 10% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.7% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 29.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $52,997 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 14.6% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Nebraska. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
One of 93 Nebraska counties—1.08 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Thurston County, Nebraska | 5.94% | 13.91% | 6.96% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Nebraska with 58.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 33.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1868 and 2016, Nebraska voted Republican 82 percent of the time and Democratic 18 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Nebraska voted Republican all five times.[8]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Senate districts in Nebraska. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[9][10]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 10 out of 49 state Senate districts in Nebraska with an average margin of victory of 26.2 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 12 out of 49 state Senate districts in Nebraska with an average margin of victory of 22.8 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 39 out of 49 state Senate districts in Nebraska with an average margin of victory of 31.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 37 out of 49 state Senate districts in Nebraska with an average margin of victory of 38.3 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state Senate District | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 35.00% | 62.82% | R+27.8 | 25.56% | 68.52% | R+43 | R |
| 2 | 34.70% | 63.63% | R+28.9 | 28.10% | 65.62% | R+37.5 | R |
| 3 | 39.04% | 59.04% | R+20 | 36.88% | 55.76% | R+18.9 | D |
| 4 | 33.37% | 65.51% | R+32.1 | 37.83% | 56.86% | R+19 | R |
| 5 | 56.53% | 41.59% | D+14.9 | 53.64% | 40.42% | D+13.2 | D |
| 6 | 44.02% | 54.75% | R+10.7 | 49.08% | 45.79% | D+3.3 | R |
| 7 | 63.42% | 34.32% | D+29.1 | 63.88% | 29.08% | D+34.8 | D |
| 8 | 61.53% | 36.52% | D+25 | 63.44% | 29.78% | D+33.7 | D |
| 9 | 58.49% | 39.32% | D+19.2 | 61.55% | 31.87% | D+29.7 | D |
| 10 | 45.04% | 53.54% | R+8.5 | 44.08% | 50.23% | R+6.1 | I |
| 11 | 91.12% | 8.07% | D+83.1 | 85.83% | 10.84% | D+75 | I |
| 12 | 43.61% | 54.71% | R+11.1 | 42.37% | 51.31% | R+8.9 | R |
| 13 | 64.84% | 33.83% | D+31 | 61.33% | 33.93% | D+27.4 | D |
| 14 | 37.62% | 60.56% | R+22.9 | 36.43% | 56.65% | R+20.2 | R |
| 15 | 38.07% | 60.36% | R+22.3 | 29.77% | 65.08% | R+35.3 | D |
| 16 | 31.13% | 67.37% | R+36.2 | 23.45% | 70.90% | R+47.4 | R |
| 17 | 43.76% | 54.47% | R+10.7 | 33.78% | 61.06% | R+27.3 | R |
| 18 | 44.60% | 54.31% | R+9.7 | 45.14% | 48.75% | R+3.6 | R |
| 19 | 25.28% | 72.70% | R+47.4 | 19.05% | 75.26% | R+56.2 | R |
| 20 | 42.76% | 55.71% | R+13 | 45.35% | 48.92% | R+3.6 | R |
| 21 | 46.85% | 51.27% | R+4.4 | 40.87% | 51.98% | R+11.1 | R |
| 22 | 23.32% | 75.02% | R+51.7 | 18.05% | 77.74% | R+59.7 | R |
| 23 | 31.22% | 66.98% | R+35.8 | 23.17% | 71.65% | R+48.5 | R |
| 24 | 26.29% | 72.16% | R+45.9 | 20.95% | 73.47% | R+52.5 | R |
| 25 | 38.80% | 59.40% | R+20.6 | 41.24% | 53.38% | R+12.1 | R |
| 26 | 52.21% | 46.11% | D+6.1 | 46.82% | 45.23% | D+1.6 | D |
| 27 | 52.75% | 45.63% | D+7.1 | 50.52% | 42.64% | D+7.9 | D |
| 28 | 60.87% | 37.83% | D+23 | 59.15% | 33.04% | D+26.1 | D |
| 29 | 47.69% | 50.58% | R+2.9 | 49.38% | 43.97% | D+5.4 | D |
| 30 | 38.34% | 59.25% | R+20.9 | 31.53% | 62.47% | R+30.9 | R |
| 31 | 33.78% | 65.04% | R+31.3 | 36.93% | 57.43% | R+20.5 | D |
| 32 | 35.71% | 62.38% | R+26.7 | 27.09% | 67.12% | R+40 | L |
| 33 | 31.50% | 66.71% | R+35.2 | 24.02% | 70.78% | R+46.8 | R |
| 34 | 27.77% | 70.53% | R+42.8 | 20.10% | 75.21% | R+55.1 | R |
| 35 | 39.62% | 58.44% | R+18.8 | 33.52% | 60.87% | R+27.3 | D |
| 36 | 24.72% | 73.31% | R+48.6 | 19.26% | 75.74% | R+56.5 | R |
| 37 | 28.68% | 69.17% | R+40.5 | 24.94% | 68.00% | R+43.1 | R |
| 38 | 23.21% | 74.90% | R+51.7 | 15.08% | 80.37% | R+65.3 | R |
| 39 | 29.09% | 69.93% | R+40.8 | 31.42% | 63.56% | R+32.1 | R |
| 40 | 22.84% | 75.26% | R+52.4 | 14.16% | 81.28% | R+67.1 | R |
| 41 | 23.54% | 74.61% | R+51.1 | 14.72% | 81.15% | R+66.4 | R |
| 42 | 28.61% | 68.98% | R+40.4 | 18.33% | 76.53% | R+58.2 | R |
| 43 | 23.14% | 74.74% | R+51.6 | 14.87% | 80.38% | R+65.5 | R |
| 44 | 18.45% | 80.00% | R+61.6 | 12.02% | 84.03% | R+72 | R |
| 45 | 40.96% | 57.13% | R+16.2 | 37.00% | 55.32% | R+18.3 | D |
| 46 | 60.88% | 37.77% | D+23.1 | 53.57% | 38.24% | D+15.3 | D |
| 47 | 21.99% | 75.82% | R+53.8 | 13.60% | 81.46% | R+67.9 | R |
| 48 | 30.41% | 67.81% | R+37.4 | 22.76% | 71.50% | R+48.7 | R |
| 49 | 34.76% | 63.76% | R+29 | 34.09% | 59.61% | R+25.5 | R |
| Total | 38.21% | 60.08% | R+21.9 | 34.35% | 59.89% | R+25.5 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
| Lincoln, Nebraska | Nebraska | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lincoln Journal Star, "Editorial, 3/27: Gaylor Baird stands out in mayoral race," March 26, 2019
- ↑ Lincoln Journal Star, "Mayor candidates to participate in forum," March 27, 2019
- ↑ Lancaster County, "2015 Elections," accessed January 6, 2015
- ↑ Journal Star, "Unofficial Primary election results," accessed April 7, 2015
- ↑ Lancaster County Board of Elections, "2015 Unofficial General Election Results," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ Lancaster County, "Official candidate list," accessed March 19, 2015
- ↑ City of Lincoln, "Government at a Glance," accessed August 26, 2014
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Nebraska," accessed July 30, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
| |||||||||
