Preview of your primary ballot the day before elections

The condition of Lincoln’s roads is one of the biggest topics on voters minds as we head into this primary election.  This also makes it a hot topic for many candidates running for office. 

The question of who will be in the running for Lincoln mayor in May hangs in the balance for this primary election.

On the ballot, two current members of the Lincoln City Council: Cyndi Lamm and Leirion Gaylor Baird.

Lamm is the only Republican candidate for mayor this year.  She wants to explore other options for fixing Lincoln streets other than raising taxes.

“I think there are a lot more options we can get to before we have to put our hand out to ask people for more money,” Lamm said.

Gaylor Baird has been endorsed by current mayor Chris Beutler, and has made public safety a main platform of her campaign.

“I look at local government as an opportunity to protect all our families,” Gaylor Baird said. 

Jeff Kirkpatrick is another candidate vying for the mayoral office, and has served as Lincoln City Attorney.

“Running a city department is good executive experience, but the law department in particular because all issues come through the law department,” Kirkpatrick said.

Rene Solc is seeing his second time on the ballot for mayor, after running in 2015.

“Maybe it’s time to have a working person in power instead of a political person,” Solc said.

Krystal Gabel is on the ballot as an independent, and has introduced a lot of new and different ideas in her campaign.

“I think it’s really important that someone’s willing to step forward with new ideas, and they’re not even new – they’re happening elsewhere in this country right here, right now,” Gabel said.

It’s not just the mayor’s seat that is up for grabs in this primary.

Residents will be voting for city council members in all four districts, as well as three spots on the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education.

Another important measure on Tuesday’s ballot: the quarter-cent sales tax.

This tax would generate funds over its six year lifespan to rebuild and repair Lincoln’s roads, costing residents an estimated $31 a year.

It’s important to remember you will only be able to vote on the quarter-cent sales tax on this primary ballot – it will not show up again on the general election ballot in May.

The top two candidates with the most votes in the mayoral race will move on to the general election in May.