Democrat Mark Martinez can't run for Douglas County sheriff, new election commissioner rules

OMAHA — Mark Martinez, the Democratic candidate for Douglas County sheriff, doesn’t qualify to run for the position, the county election commissioner announced late Friday afternoon.

The county’s new lead election official, Danielle Jensen, said she consulted with the Douglas County Attorney’s Office and Secretary of State’s Office and, after further review of a 2024 law, which requires a candidate for sheriff to possess a certificate or diploma from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center before filing for election or being appointed to the job. The word “active” does not appear in the law. It says a candidate shall “possess” the credential or diploma.

The Douglas County Republican Party said in a social media post Friday that the decision was the “right” one. The party filed a complaint with county election officials questioning the sheriff’s candidacy of Martinez earlier this week — pointing to the 2024 law that he didn’t meet the criteria to run for sheriff.

The Douglas County GOP said Martinez didn’t have an active law enforcement certificate. Martinez was the U.S. marshal for the District of Nebraska from 2010 to 2018 and, before that, served from 1984 to 2009 in the Omaha Police Department, where he reached the rank of deputy chief.


https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/03/13/democrat-mark-martinez-cant-run-for-douglas-county-sheriff-new-election-commissioner-rules/