Gaylor Baird increases lead over Geist in latest vote count

LINCOLN — Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird grew her lead over State Sen. Suzanne Geist in the city’s mayoral primary election Wednesday by adding results from another 6,254 early voting ballots.

The updated unofficial count left the mayor just short of the 50% mark that political observers have said signals an incumbent’s strength, with 49.6% of the vote. She received 3,674 of the new votes.

The new numbers show Geist in second, with 33%. She received 1,602 of the newly counted votes. And they show nonprofit executive and Christian broadcaster Stan Parker in third place, with 17.1%. He added 958 votes. Turnout, with 58,142 votes cast, looks like it may have hit about 33%, local election officials said.

Geist, who announced Wednesday that she is resigning her seat in the Legislature to run for mayor full-time, will need to attract Parker’s voters to close the gap with Gaylor Baird, Nebraska’s highest-profile elected Democrat. Geist and Gaylor Baird will square off in the city’s May 2 general election. Lincoln last elected a Republican mayor in 1991 and 1995 with Mike Johanns.

Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen said Wednesday the county still has to count about 430 provisional ballots and another 300 in-person early votes that were cast Monday in the election office. Those 730 votes are unlikely to change the race’s final percentages.

Paul Landow, a retired political science professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said Gaylor Baird is in a strong position, regardless of whether she crosses the 50% threshold. Geist would have to consolidate the base of a divided party in a way that is difficult to do, he said.

The Lancaster County Republican Party is trying to help her, announcing plans to host Geist and Parker at a “unity” rally Thursday. Landow said the math does not lean in their favor.

“When you’re an incumbent who is that close to 50%, barring unforeseen circumstances, you’re going to win anyway,” Landow said.