# Coalition hosts candidate forum in South Omaha ahead of May 12 primary  
**Published:** 2026-05-06T23:21:24.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/black-brown-red-coalition-hosting-candidate-forum-in-south-omaha/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/coalition-hosts-candidate-forum-in-south-omaha-ahead-of-may-12-primary

The Black, Brown & Red Coalition and NAACP are hosting a nonpartisan candidate forum Thursday in South Omaha, according to [the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/black-brown-red-coalition-hosting-candidate-forum-in-south-omaha/).

The event runs from 5:30 p.m. for a meet-and-greet through 7 p.m. for an open forum at the Guacamaya restaurant, 5002 S. 33rd St. Free food and refreshments will be served. The forum is open to the public and all candidates participating in [Nebraska's May 12 primary election](https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections).

Organizers said attendees will have an opportunity to hear from candidates on issues impacting families, neighborhoods and vulnerable populations. The coalition emphasized that [Black, Latino, Indigenous and other historically marginalized communities are often impacted by policies without having a seat at the table](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/13/nebraska-democrats-republicans-trump-omaha/). "This is about making informed decisions and showing up for our future," organizers said in a statement.

[Candidates who have confirmed attendance](https://3.1.candidate) include three 2nd Congressional District candidates: Kishla Askins, State Sen. John Cavanaugh and Denise Powell. Also confirmed are Douglas County Sheriff's Office candidate Mark Martinez; Douglas County Attorney candidate Makayla Danner; Douglas County Treasurer candidates Christian Espinosa Torres and Tony Vargas; University of Nebraska Board of Regents candidate Jim Rogers; Omaha Public Power District Board candidates Mark Gudgel and Flint Harkness; and Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board candidate Christian Gray.

The congressional race has drawn considerable attention, with multiple candidates competing for the Democratic nomination. The district includes Omaha and surrounding areas and is considered a swing region in the heavily Republican state.

Also Thursday, the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance will hold its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. at the Kroc Center, 2825 Y St., where primary candidates will have a chance to introduce themselves and speak.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/black-brown-red-coalition-hosting-candidate-forum-in-south-omaha/)
- [Nebraska Secretary of State elections page confirming May 12, 2026 primary date](https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections)
- [Washington Post article on recent Omaha Democratic political engagement](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/13/nebraska-democrats-republicans-trump-omaha/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/black-brown-red-coalition-hosting-candidate-forum-in-south-omaha/.