Jean Louise Stothert (née Wolf; born February 7, 1954) is an American politician and former nurse serving as the 51st mayor of
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
. She is the first woman to hold the office and was sworn in as Mayor on June 10, 2013. She was re-elected on May 10, 2017, and May 11, 2021.
Personal life
Jean Stothert was born on February 7, 1954, in
Wood River, Illinois
Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois. The population was 10,657 according to the 2010 census.
Geography
Wood River is located at (38.863047, -90.088527).
According to the 2010 census, Wood River has a total area of , of which (or 9 ...
.
She earned a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in nursing from
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is a private Christian university in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1891 in conjunction with the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary. It became the Seat ...
.
Stothert married Joe Stothert in 1981. He became a critical care surgery specialist at the
Nebraska Medical Center. The couple had two children, and were married until Joe Stothert died at age 72.
[
In May, 2022 she married Dr. J. Kevin O'Rourke. Dr. O'Rourke is a retired ]anesthesiologist
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...
who Stothert met when he was in medical school at St. Louis University and she was a critical care nurse at St. Louis University Hospital.
Career
Stothert began her career in nursing. Her 12 years as a critical care nurse and nursing manager included serving as head nurse at St. Louis University in Missouri. She was responsible for her department budgeting, hiring and staff management.
Politics
In 1997, Stothert was elected to the Millard Board of Education. She was re-elected for three terms, including 3 years as president of the board, serving until 2009.
Entering politics after she and her husband moved to Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
, Stothert was a candidate for the Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...
in 2006. She was defeated by Steve Lathrop by 14 votes (5073–5059).
In 2009, Stothert was elected to the Omaha City Council
The City Council of Omaha, Nebraska, is elected every four years on a nonpartisan basis. The next election will occur in 2025. Omaha has a strong mayor form of government. Members are elected by district. Currently seven city council districts a ...
(District 5), defeating Jon Blumenthal, 7401 to 4308.
Mayor of Omaha
On June 29, 2012, Stothert announced her candidacy for Mayor of Omaha
This is a list of mayors of Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
List of mayors
See also
* Government of Omaha
* History of Omaha
References
{{Omaha
Omaha
*
Mayors
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municip ...
. Stothert raised $513,124 for campaign, compared to $804,700 raised by Jim Suttle James H. Suttle (born June 13, 1944) is an American corporate executive, engineer, and politician who served as the 50th mayor of Omaha, Nebraska from 2009 to 2013.
Earlier career
Suttle held the position of vice-chair of the Board of Directors fo ...
. Stothert received 32.2% of votes in a primary election of April 2, 2013.
She was elected mayor with 57.32% of votes, on May 14, 2013, defeating the incumbent mayor Jim Suttle. She is the first woman to hold this office. Stothert was re-elected in 2017, and won a historic third term for Omaha Mayor in 2021.
See also
* List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stothert, Jean
1954 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Living people
Mayors of Omaha, Nebraska
Nebraska Republicans
Omaha City Council members
People from Wood River, Illinois
School board members in Nebraska
Seattle Pacific University alumni
Women mayors of places in Nebraska
Women city councillors in Nebraska