Two Democrats win key Douglas County law enforcement jobs

Mark Martinez and Makayla Danner won their respective races for sheriff and county attorney in Douglas County on Tuesday. Both candidates are Democrats, and both defeated incumbents with long tenures in those offices.

Martinez beat Aaron Hanson, the current sheriff, to take the lead at the sheriff's office. Danner defeated Don Kleine, who had served as Douglas County attorney for 20 years.

Martinez is a graduate of South High School and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, including a stint with the U.S. Marshals Service. He said his background and community involvement helped him connect with voters.

"Serving on non-profit boards and the fact that I've tried to serve others," Martinez said. "And the combination of the two, the experience and my community mindedness, I think resonated with a lot of voters."

Martinez said he will handle cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a case-by-case basis. He does not plan to join enforcement actions or raids unless he sees an absolute necessity.

"I'll listen, but I certainly won't be involved in any enforcement actions, any raids, that's off the table .. until I see an absolute necessity," Martinez said.

Martinez also pointed to budget overruns under Hanson's leadership. He said keeping the office within its budget will be a priority for his administration.

"You mind your budget," Martinez said. "That's what leaders do, people with experience."

Danner said her victory is personal because she grew up in Douglas County. She described herself as a poor kid from North Omaha who graduated from Burke and earned a full scholarship to Creighton University.

"I was a poor kid that grew up in North Omaha," Danner said. "I graduated from Burke and got a full scholarship to Creighton, so that's huge. I'm a first generation college grad, and I came back here because I want to give back to this community."

Danner said her goal is to serve all residents regardless of their background. She cited raising five children with different personalities as a factor in her approach to listening to diverse viewpoints.

"Did I think my message resonated, yeah. But I can't knock every door," Danner said. "I knocked as many as I could. I thought the numbers were looking good on the doors I did knock, so I was always optimistic."