Decision 2024: Write-in candidate vying for Douglas County Board of Commissioners seat

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - With less than a month to go until election day, there’s a new challenger vying for one of the seats on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

Douglas County has about 600,000 people and covers more than 300 square miles.

If you live in Districts one, three, five, or seven, there’s a county seat up for grabs.

The County Board of Commissioners sets the budget that pays for public safety.

It was also responsible for approving the new justice center downtown.

Just one of the board races has two names on the ballot.

However, in North Omaha’s District three, someone is running as an independent write-in candidate against current commissioner Chris Rodgers: JaQuala Yarbro.

“Being a boots-on-the-ground individual who grew up there, went to school there, left the community to pursue academic endeavors, understood how we can change and make a global impact just from our district,” Yarbro said. “Came back to really put those global economic perspectives into view, into use, in Douglas County District 3.”

6 News spoke with Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse about the last time a write-in candidate won a contested seat.

He said that he can’t recall such a time, at least in the last two decades.

However, in the late 1970’s, Al Veys became Omaha’s 39th Mayor after a successful write-in campaign.

A write-in candidate must file with the Election Commission or Secretary of State no later than 10 days before the election.

6 News reached out to Commissioner Chris Rodgers, and he declined an opportunity for an interview.

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