Douglas County Commissioner Marc Kraft announced Tuesday morning he will not seek another term on the County Board in the upcoming 2020 election.
Citing health issues and the desire to let others enter public service, Kraft says he has been weighing his long-term plans since 2017. “Shortly after some extended health issues, my family and I started discussing my political future,” Kraft says. “I thank the voters for their support and all the hard-working public servants who make Douglas County and Omaha a great place to live and work.”
Kraft has served three terms on the County Board and two on the Omaha City Council, Kraft has been in elected office for nearly 20 years.
His late father, Leo Kraft, also served on the Omaha City Council. “I am proud of the accomplishments we’ve been able to achieve during my terms in public office, often by courting controversy and venturing out ahead of the curve,” Kraft says.
As a council member Kraft fought for more strict environmental standards in redeveloping the former Asarco site on the Riverfront. He was also one of Omaha’s first advocates for a smoking ban in bars and restaurants and was an early proponent for building a public skate park. “Time has proven we were right on all those issues,” he says. “But none of those were easy challenges to tackle at the time.”