Mike McDonnell

Mike McDonnell (born January 15, 1966) is an American politician who serves in the Nebraska Legislature, representing the 5th district. He was a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in 2024 after being censured by the Nebraska Democratic Party for voting for anti-abortion and anti-transgender legislation.

Early life and education
McDonnell was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School in 1984, the year he joined the Nebraska Democratic Party. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 1992, an associate's degree in fire protection technology in 1996, and a master's degree from Bellevue University in 2014.

Career
McDonnell was a former chief of Omaha Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 385 for the City of Omaha under Mayor Al Veys. On November 8, 2013, Mike retired as Fire Chief from the Omaha Fire Department after 24 years. He also served with union groups Omaha Federation of Labor and AFL-CIO.

Nebraska Legislature
In 2016, he ran for the Legislature against Republican Gilbert Ayala. Ayala finished second in the nonpartisan primary, which saw McDonnell and Gilbert Ayala advance to the general election. McDonnell defeated Ayala in the general election with nearly 70% of the vote. In 2020, McDonell won reelection after defeating Ayala with 63.2% of the vote.

Abortion
McDonnell has stated that he was transparent about his anti-abortion stance when he ran for the Legislature in 2016. He has also stated his support for “heartbeat bills”. He backed failed legislation that would have banned abortion in Nebraska outright. In response, he was denied a voting role in the Douglas County Democratic Party by a vote of 17-3, with members determining his beliefs conflicted with the party's pro-choice platform.

LGBTQ rights
LGBTQ Nebraskans and allies have criticized Senator McDonnell for being the only Democrat in the Nebraska Legislature to support LB574, the “Adopt the Let Them Grow Act”, which bans gender-affirming medical procedures for transgender individuals under the age of 18.

Possible run for 2025 Omaha mayoral bid
Political insiders have stated McDonnell is strongly considering a mayoral run in 2025, though he has not confirmed nor denied a mayoral campaign.

He told to WOWT in an interview: “If I decide to run for Mayor or not decide to run for Mayor, I’m not going to base my votes in the Unicameral on possibly running for Mayor or any office in the future”. Nebraska Examiner to the senator confirmed he is considering a run for Omaha mayor in 2025.

Nebraska Democratic Party censure
In response to McDonnell's positions around abortion and transgender healthcare, some Nebraska Democrats, especially the state chapter of Stonewall Democrats, proposed censuring the Senator. Following a meeting in Scottsbluff on July 15, 2023, the Nebraska Democratic Party officially censured McDonnell.

Personal life
McDonnell is married to his wife Amy. He is Roman Catholic and resides in South Omaha, Nebraska. He has one child.