Final primary results suggest a tight race ahead for Lincoln mayor
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Lancaster County Election Commission has released the final results from Tuesday’s primary election.
While the final results of Lincoln’s primary haven’t changed much of what was known on Wednesday, they are giving color to what could happen in the May 2 general election.
In the race for mayor, Leirion Gaylor Baird held a nearly 10,000-vote lead over her opponent Suzanne Geist.
The mayor also outperformed Geist in both early and election day votes, leading by roughly 9,000 and 1,000 votes, respectively.
Combined, Geist and Stan Parker, both Republicans, had 29,448 votes. That’s just 232 more than Gaylor Baird, a Democrat.
In an interview Thursday, the mayor said she’d be focusing her efforts on her job to pull some of these voters across the aisle.
“My administration listens to the people of Lincoln and invests in public safety,” she said. “We are investing a historic $2 million in our streets. Economic development, growth and a high quality of life; that’s what the people of Lincoln want. I fully expect that we will be welcoming many of the people who voted in the primary to our side of the table.”
On Thursday, the Lancaster County Republican Party held a press conference with Geist and Parker in a bid for unity among Lincoln’s Republicans.
Parker gave Geist his endorsement for mayor after losing in the primary election.
Stan Parker and I have been good friends for many years. I’ve always had immense respect for Stan and his family. Getting his endorsement today means a great deal! I’m excited to work together to make Lincoln a better, safer, more affordable place for everyone! #lincolnnebraska pic.twitter.com/cSOZGc0SRD
— Suzanne Geist for Mayor (@GeistForMayor) April 6, 2023
Suzanne Geist resigned from the Legislature on Wednesday to focus solely on her bid for mayor.
In total, a third of registered voters in Lincoln cast a vote for one of the three mayoral candidates. The figure is just 3 percentage points shy of how many registered voters cast a ballot in Lincoln’s 2019 race for mayor.
