2011 Omaha mayoral recall election
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2011 Omaha mayoral recall election
| country =
| flag_image = Flag of Omaha, Nebraska.svg
| type = Presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2009 Omaha mayoral election
| previous_year = 2009
| next_election = 2013 Omaha mayoral election
| next_year = 2013
| election_date = {{Start date|2011|1|25}}
| module = {{Infobox referendum
| embed = yes
| question = Shall Jim Suttle be removed from the office of Omaha Mayor?
| yes = 39,781
| no = 42,091
| electorate =
| map =
| map_caption =
| module = {{Infobox election
| embed = yes
| ongoing = no
| title = Mayor
| before_election = Jim Suttle
| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
| posttitle = Mayor
| after_election = Jim Suttle
| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
}}
}}
{{ElectionsNE}}
The 2011 Omaha mayoral recall election was an unsuccessful special recall election to remove Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle from office. It was held on January 25, 2011. The recall effort was rejected with 51% of the vote.
Background
Jim Suttle was elected Mayor of Omaha in 2009 over former Mayor Hal Daub with 50.5% of the vote. On September 22, 2010, the Mayor Suttle Recall Committee announced that it would seek to recall Suttle, citing his decision to increase taxes during a recession rather than cutting spending, and how he negotiated a police union contract.{{Cite news |last=Goodsell |first=Paul |title=Suttle recall effort might take a page from 1987 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/166305529/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=September 22, 2010 |pages=1A, 2A |work=Omaha World-Herald}} The local Democratic Party supported Suttle, arguing that the recall "mocks and undermines what the recall process is truly for and attempts to negate the voices of those who voted fairly in the 2009 municipal elections."{{Cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Maggie |last2=Goodsell |first2=Paul |title=It's official: Recall group will try to oust Suttle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/166305717/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=September 22, 2010 |pages=1A, 2A |work=Omaha World-Herald}} At the filing deadline, the committee submitted more than 37,000 recall petitions, exceeding the 26,643 required to call the recall election.{{Cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Maggie |last2=Goodsell |first2=Paul |title=Suttle vows to stay on job and keep 'his promise' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/166305940/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=November 20, 2010 |pages=1A, 2A |work=Omaha World-Herald}} On December 4, 2010, the Douglas County Election Commissioner announced that the committee had submitted 28,720 valid signatures.{{Cite news |last=Ross |first=Timberly |title=Voters to decide mayor's job |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincoln-journal-star/166306258/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=December 5, 2010 |page=B1 |work=Lincoln Journal Star}} The City Council subsequently scheduled the recall election for January 25, 2011.{{Cite news |last=Wynn |first=Matt |title=City council schedules recall vote for Jan. 25 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/166306364/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=December 22, 2010 |page=2A |work=Omaha World-Herald}} Suttle's campaign challenged the legality of the recall effort, arguing that fraud occurred in petition-gathering, but that challenge was rejected by a state court judge, who found that the campaign had not submitted sufficient evidence that fraud altered the outcome.{{Cite news |last=Olson |first=Eric |title=Judge: Omaha mayor recall can proceed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincoln-journal-star/166306504/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=December 24, 2010 |page=B2 |work=Lincoln Journal Star}}
As Suttle organized a campaign to defend himself, he argued that his decisions were necessary to manage the city's precarious financial situation: "My legacy is Jim Suttle brought financial stability to Omaha," he argued.{{Cite news |last=Sulzberger |first=A. G. |title=For Omaha Mayors, Recalls Are Almost Routine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/us/27omaha.html |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=January 26, 2011 |work=New York Times}} In early January 2011, Suttle pointed to the city's $3 million budget surplus, a reversal of the $12 million deficit that it faced in January 2010.{{Cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Maggie |title=Diners' tax stuffs city coffers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/166307040/ |access-date=February 20, 2025 |date=January 21, 2011 |page=1B |work=Omaha World-Herald}}
Ultimately, Suttle narrowly prevailed in the recall, with "No" winning 51% of the vote and defeating "Yes" by 2,310 votes.
Results
{{Referendum
| title = 2011 Omaha mayoral recall election
| yes = 39,781
| yespct = 48.59
| no = 42,091
| nopct = 51.41
| total = 81,872
| source = Douglas County Election Commission{{cite web |title=Official Results, 2011 City Of Omaha Mayoral Recall Election|author=Douglas County Election Commission |date=February 4, 2011|url=https://www.votedouglascounty-ne.gov/elections/2011/Recall/S11ResultsSummary.htm|access-date=February 24, 2025}}
}}