City council hopefuls poised for post-holiday sprint

BY ROBYNN TYSVER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Decemeber 14, 2008

Omahans should enjoy the relatively politics-free landscape of December. Because after the holidays, a dozen or more candidates could hit the streets and airwaves in bids for the Omaha City Council.

All seven council seats, along with the mayor's office, are up for election next spring.

Three of the council districts are wide open. They could be especially attractive to political newcomers who prefer not to run against an incumbent.

Councilmen Jim Vokal and Jim Suttle and former Mayor Hal Daub are running for mayor. Council President Dan Welch has said he won't seek another term, although he's keeping open a possible bid for mayor.

The three open seats are expected to attract the bulk of the attention in council elections. Several people have shown interest in Vokal's district, which includes downtown and midtown.

Four councilmen are expected to run for re-election, although they have not formally announced their plans. Two of the four already have competitors.

The four incumbents expected to run: Chuck Sigerson, Garry Gernandt, Frank Brown and Franklin Thompson.

Several candidates said they would not start campaigning in earnest until after the holidays.

Then it's a sprint to the April primaries, which will winnow the field in each district to two before the general election five weeks later.

"Most people are election-fatigued after the last election," said Sigerson, who said he is 98 percent certain he will run again. "Certainly people are entitled to a little peace and quiet over the holidays."

The potential field in the seven council districts:

District 1 (Suttle) — Pete Festersen, a former top aide to Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey, could be considered a front-runner in this district, which includes Florence, Benson and part of midtown.

Festersen is expected to face Sharon Chvala, a community activist with the Benson Neighborhood Association, and Paul Anderson, who has lost bids for the Legislature and the Metropolitan Community College Board.

District 2 — Frank Brown is expected to seek re-election in northeast Omaha. If he does, he will have at least two competitors: Ben Gray, a retired KETV photojournalist, and James M. English, a retired educator.

District 3 (Vokal) — This district has the potential for a crowded field.

Attorney Brian Buescher has announced his intention to run. Buescher is a partner with the Kutak Rock law firm and past president of the Hanscom Park Neighborhood Association. Crystal Rhoades, a former member of the Save Rosenblatt group and activist with the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance, said she plans to jump into the race. Chris Jerram, a lawyer and former head of the Douglas County Democratic Party, is expected to announce his candidacy Monday.

Other possible contenders include Jim Farho, president of the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance; Chip Maxwell, a Douglas County commissioner who lost his re-election bid last month; and attorney John K. Green, longtime member of the Omaha Public Power District board.

District 4 — Garry Gernandt seeks another term in south Omaha. So far, no other candidates have surfaced.

District 5 (Welch) — Attorney Jon Blumenthal, active in the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and Jean Stothert, president of the Millard school board, have both announced their intention to run for this southwest seat.

District 6 — Franklin Thompson could face competition in west Omaha. Walt Peffer, chief of staff to former Mayor P.J. Morgan, is thinking about getting into the race. Peffer said he will make a decision by the end of December.

District 7 — Chuck Sigerson expects opposition in northwest Omaha, but so far none has emerged.