As State Sen. Mike McDonnell, one of Omaha’s top Democrats, looks to finalize a run for mayor in two years, some of his fellow Democrats have taken a good-size swipe at him.

The head of the area’s labor movement is the lone Democrat in the Legislature backing three hot-button bills—the Nebraska Heartbeat Act, which would in effect ban abortion after six weeks, and two bills targeting individuals who identify as transgender.   

This week the Douglas County Democratic Party’s Central Committee turned its back on McDonnell refusing to allow him to join their ranks, and the vote wasn’t even close.

“It was very lopsided against him,” says CJ King, head of the Douglas County Democratic Party.  Of the roughly two dozen Central Committee members who voted King tells NCN it was “probably a good 80-20 split, against.”

And King says he knows why: “It was the opinion that because he’s a sponsor of certain bills, I don’t think I need to go into which ones…people weren’t comfortable having him on the Central Committee at this time.”

Joe Jordan, News Channel Nebraska: “I’m guessing it’s the Heartbeat bill and the transgender bills?”

CJ King, Chairman Douglas County Democratic Party: “Yes.”

The anti-McDonnell vote comes as the abortion ban (LB626) and legislation (Let Them Grow Act, LB574) blocking gender altering procedures for those 18 and younger were voted out of committee, and now head to the full floor for debate.

As NCN first reported, McDonnell’s abortion vote appears critical to final passage.

Meanwhile McDonnell, the city’s former fire union president, Fire Chief, and current head of the Omaha Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, which according to its website is the “heart of the labor movement” representing 11,000 members in Douglas County and four nearby counties, is standing firm.

State Sen. Mike McDonnell, Omaha (D): “I’m sticking to my vote on the Heartbeat legislation.”

Joe Jordan, NCN “Are you working to move that legislation so it might be 10 weeks or 12 weeks?

 Mike McDonnell: “Have people talked to me about that, yes, they have. But I am currently, and going to, vote for the Heartbeat legislation.”

According to King, a spot on the Central Committee gives members a vote when the county party wants to spend money, add other members, or “take an action.”

The vote against McDonnell comes 2 ½ years after News Channel Nebraska first reported that the Nebraska Democratic Party all but condemned Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, a lifelong Democrat and well-respected official within the party, for his handling of a racially charged shooting in Omaha’s Old Market. Kleine had refused to charge a White bar owner in the shooting death of a Black Lives Matter protestor.

A few days later Kleine switched parties and was reelected in 2022 as a Republican, begging an obvious question for McDonnell.

Joe Jordan, NCN: “Do you have any plans of changing parties?

McDonnell: “No. And if the Central Committee wants to invite me to attend in the future I will.”

Joe Jordan, NCN: “Does that action by the Central Committee indicate that Democrats in Omaha are not thinking kindly of Mike McDonnell as he possibly runs for mayor?”

King, Chairman Douglas County Democratic Party: “I don’t speak for all Democrats in Omaha. If Mike McDonnell runs as a Democrat, I did talk to Mike he doesn’t have any plans of switching parties, I don’t intend to treat him any different than any other Democrat.”

McDonnell says he’s not made a final decision about running for mayor but as NCN first reported, although he’s term limited and can’t run for the Legislature in two years, he held a fundraiser in November headlined by among others philanthropist Mike Yanney and Tony Conner, head of the Omaha Police Union.

According to McDonnell’s latest state campaign report, he ended 2022 with $263,000 cash on hand, with hefty contributions from the Kiewit Corporation and the International Firefighters Union.

Kiewit kicking in $16,000, the International Firefighters $10,000.