Nebraska: Mayor provided campaign finance spending opposing Lincoln Mayor and City Councilmembers

Reports are now out that the mayor's holdover campaign account helped push the fight against the recall effort against Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird (D) and Councilmembers James Michael Bowers (D), Richard Meginnis (R), Jane Raybould (D) and Tammy Ward (D). The effort failed, with petitioners not handing in signatures. A City Council candidate in 2021, Benjamin Madsen, filed the petitions. The source of spending (which in total was about 19.500) seems unsurprising. 

The recall was over the appointment of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director and mask requirements to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  Petitioners needed 21,652 signatures in 30 days to get the Baird recall on the ballot, and 4864 for Bowers, 8009 for Meginnis, 5362 for Raybould and 2495 for Ward. Three Council members were ineligible to be recalled, because they are in the grace period before the 2021 election. 

Comedian Larry the Cable Guy backed the recall, which seems to have garnered some press. Lincoln last had a recall in 2000, when a member of the Rokseby school board was kicked out.