Brayden McLaughlin

Brayden McLaughlin

Education

Bachelor's

University of Nebraska

Graduate

University of Cincinnati

Personal

Profession

City planner

Contact

Personal website

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Brayden McLaughlin was a candidate for at-large representative on the Lincoln City Council in Nebraska. He was defeated in the general election on May 2, 2017. Click here to read McLaughlin's response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.

Although city council elections in Lincoln are officially nonpartisan, McLaughlin identified as a member of the Republican Party at the time of his 2017 candidacy.

Biography

Email [email protected] to notify us of updates to this biography.

McLaughlin earned a B.A. from the University of Nebraska and a master's degree in community planning from the University of Cincinnati.

At the time of his 2017 run for office, McLaughlin owned the urban design firm Bridgewater Consulting. His professional experience includes work for the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, the Nebraska Department of Roads, and the Lancaster County Engineering Department. He has also served as chair of the Tour of Homes and on the boards of Near South Neighborhood and the Preservation Association of Lincoln.

Elections

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Lincoln, Nebraska (2017)

The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, held a primary election for city council and airport authority board of directors on April 4, 2017. A general election was scheduled for May 2, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 3, 2017. The following candidates ran in the general election for an at-large seat on the Lincoln City Council.

Lincoln City Council, At-Large General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Leirion Gaylor Baird Incumbent	20.80%	22,713
Bennie Shobe	17.98%	19,633
Roy Christensen Incumbent	16.86%	18,411
Tom Nesbitt	16.25%	17,745
Brayden McLaughlin	14.01%	15,297
Maggie Mae Squires	13.96%	15,246
Write-in votes	0.15%	163
Total Votes		109,208
Source: Lancaster County Election Commissioner, "Official Final Results," accessed May 10, 2017

The following candidates ran in the primary election for an at-large seat on the Lincoln City Council.

Lincoln City Council, At-Large Primary Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Leirion Gaylor Baird Incumbent	18.60%	15,502
Roy Christensen Incumbent	16.08%	13,400
Tom Nesbitt	15.54%	12,953
Bennie Shobe	14.51%	12,093
Brayden McLaughlin	13.97%	11,643
Maggie Mae Squires	10.04%	8,363
Lou Braatz III	6.11%	5,093
Deb Andrews	4.99%	4,160
Write-in votes	0.15%	128
Total Votes		83,335
Source: Lancaster County Election Commissioner, "Official Final Results," accessed April 18, 2017

Campaign themes

2017

See also: Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey

McLaughlin participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

“	Property taxes and infrastructure.	”
—Brayden McLaughlin (March 21, 2017)

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue	Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Transportation	7	Recreational opportunities
2	City services (trash, utilities, etc.)	8	Homelessness
3	Housing	9	Civil rights
4	Crime reduction/prevention	10	Environment
5	Government transparency	11	Unemployment
6	Public pensions/retirement funds	12	K-12 education

Nationwide municipal issues

The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.

Question	Response
Is it important for the city’s budget to be balanced?Answer options: Not important; Not important, but required by state law; A little important; A little important, but required by state law; Important; Very important	Very important
Which level of government do you feel should set a minimum wage?Answer options: None, Local, State, Federal	Federal
What do you think is the best way to improve a city’s public safety? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Increased economic opportunities, Increased police presence/activity, Harsher penalties for offenders, Public outreach/education programs	Increased police presence/activity
How do you think your city should emphasize economic development? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Changing zoning restrictions, Create a more competitive business climate, Focusing on small business development, Instituting a citywide minimum wage, Recruiting new businesses to your city, Regulatory and licensing reforms, and tax reform	Create a more competitive business climate
What is the one thing you’re most proud of about your city?	It's neighborhoods and sense of community.
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about your city?	Traffic and road network efficiency.

Additional themes

McLaughlin's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“	ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Lincoln is a city on the rise and this can continue if we help to create an environment that encourages incoming migration and investment. The more the city does to encourage lower business taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes, the more Lincoln will be able to keep businesses vital to the city as well as attract new and vibrant ideas and people. Lincoln must find a balance on focusing growth and development not only downtown and in the Haymarket, but in older neighborhoods, and out in newer suburbs. The more we allow people to invest in the city as a whole, the more people and jobs we will be able to create to the benefit of all. INFRASTRUCTURE Lincoln’s greatest physical needs have been (and will continue to be) infrastructure. Our priority as a city is to make sure that every citizen has safe roads and sidewalks, clean water, affordable electricity, and access to effective city services. By improving and maintaining the networks of our transportation, water, and electrical infrastructure, we can ensure that the people of Lincoln can get to and enjoy their destinations such as jobs, shops, and parks, safely. PUBLIC SAFETY A strong police force and fire department are essential to the safety and well-being of Lincoln. Making sure those resources and staff are being used in the right locations so that all Lincoln residents are effectively covered is a key priority for all, as well as using preventative measures to make Lincoln as safe as it can be. STRONGER NEIGHBORHOODS Lincoln has always been a city of neighborhoods, and the state of our neighborhoods affects the state of our city as a whole. Better, healthier neighborhoods have lower crime, stronger businesses, safer streets, and a greater feeling of happiness which not only strengthens the city at the local level, but it also strengthens Lincoln overall. RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT The citizens of Lincoln have the right to know where, when, and most importantly how their hard earned tax dollars are being spent. I will do everything in my power to try and increase transparency and accountability in local government by following the money and asking our city officials and department heads funding and budget questions that need to be answered to ensure that your money is used wisely and for the best benefit of everyone.	”
—Brayden McLaughlin's campaign website, (2017)

Endorsements

2017

McLaughlin received endorsements from the following in 2017:

• U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry
• Lieutenant Gov. Mike Foley
• Lancaster County Treasurer Andy Stebbing
• State Sen. Suzanne Geist
• State Sen. Mike Hilgers

See also

Lincoln, Nebraska	Nebraska	Municipal government	Other local coverage

External links

Suggest a link

• Lincoln City Council
• Campaign website
• Social media
  • Facebook
  • Twitter