‘Get out and vote’: Lincoln City Council race almost set for general election

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Several familiar faces are moving forward in the race for three spots on the Lincoln City Council after Tuesday’s primary election.

Six people will continue on to the general election on May 6, when voters will decide on the winners.

Incumbent candidates Sändra Washington, Tom Beckius and Bennie Shobe each advanced.

Former Councilman Jerry Shoecraft is also moving on, along with Stan Parker, who ran for mayor in 2023.

SEE ALSO: Voters give green light to renewal of Lincoln on the Move sales tax

But the final spot is up for grabs, with Maher Aurang Zeb and Elina Newman in a close race.

Rene Carrillo and Maghie Miller-Jenkins were eliminated.

Councilman Tom Duden said next month’s election is something Lincolnites should pay attention to.

“Number one, get out and vote,” he said. “That’s the most important thing.”

SEE ALSO: Full election results

Duden said these city council seats could play a big role in Lincoln’s future in the coming years, especially when it comes to public safety.

“We’ve got an excellent police and fire department, but we need to maintain that at the same time,” he said.

Duden said voters should do their research on each candidate before casting their final vote in May.

“It’s not the national issues that affect them so much, but the local issues do,” Duden said. “The city budget, expenditures, roads — all of those things are important to the people that live in Lincoln, so they should look at candidates that have those same concerns in mind.”