If truth be told I’m kind of bummed that Mike McDonnell didn’t make it out of the primary.

Now don’t get me wrong, as an Omaha citizen I’m very happy knowing that there are two decent qualified candidates running for mayor. If either John Ewing or Jean Stothert wins the general election Omaha will be in good hands.

But as a person who has made a career out of following politics and then commenting on it, I’m kind of bummed because a Jean Stothert vs. Mike McDonnell election would have been good for business and fun to watch. Jean Stothert and Mike McDonnell genuinely don’t like each other. I would have liked to see the two get into it.

A lot of people are surprised that McDonnell lost. I’m not. Even though he had the backing of the Douglas County Republican Party, the fire and police unions, and two former mayors, he also had a lot of enemies and self-inflicted wounds.

Was he a Democrat? Was he a Republican? Did he even know who he was?

McDonnell tried to appeal to the MAGA crowd by using right-wing buzzwords. He accused the city’s homeless coordinator of being a DEI hire. That turned off women. He wanted to stop the streetcar even though it would cost the city millions of dollars in canceled contracts and lawsuits. That turned off anyone who was paying attention. He came across as a high school bully even though he tried to play the humble South Omaha Boy card. People who knew him knew he was an SOB alright.

And what about the current state of the Nebraska and Douglas County Republican parties? Since the far right has taken them over, have any of their endorsed candidates made it out of the primary?

Sure, they’ll eventually endorse an incumbent once they’ve already secured the nomination. But Mike McDonnel joins a long list of candidates the party has backed that include Dan Frei, John Glen Weaver, John Walz, and many others who have fallen by the wayside. It used to be the party wouldn’t endorse a candidate if more than one Republican was running in the primary. That tradition is no more.

So now we are down to two. And while Mayor Stothert has won handedly in previous elections, I believe this time she could have a real race this time.

Jean Stothert is a good mayor. She’s also a good politician. She will be tough to beat but Ewing is no slouch either.

I realize this is anecdotal, but on election night I was at my monthly poker game with some old high school buddies. One of them is a die-hard Republican who I’m certain will vote for Jean. He made an interesting comment though. He’s worried that maybe the city is experiencing Jean fatigue. After all, she is our longest-serving mayor and he feels that many people might be looking for something new. He may have a point.

On the other hand, while John Ewing has a lifetime of public service, and he’s done a great job as County Treasurer, running a major city is no small task. Will voters feel he can hit the ground running? Or will they decide to stick with the person they know?

Whatever the voters decide, I believe the city will be in good shape.

Sure, it won’t be as much fun to watch as a Stothert vs. McDonnell race would have been. Those two and their surrogates would have really gone at it. Ewing is a soft-spoken nice guy who will stick to the issues and stay away from personal attacks. This mayor’s race could be downright boring.

But considering how nasty politics has gotten lately, maybe a boring, informational race is just what the voters need right now.

So farewell Mike, the city wishes you well in your future endeavors. As long as those future endeavors don’t include running for public office ever again.

Now the race is down to two. Six more weeks of campaigning. Six more weeks of TV ads and yard signs. Six more weeks before we decide who will run our city for the next four years.

Six more weeks without an ad for the former fire chief. That’s a good thing for Omaha, but as a commentator, there’s a part of me that’s really going to miss Mike McDonnell.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.