Lou Braatz III

Lou Braatz III

Contact

Personal website

Lou Braatz III was a candidate for at-large representative on the Lincoln City Council in Nebraska. Braatz was defeated in the primary election on April 4, 2017.

Biography

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

At the time of his 2017 run for office, Braatz was a stay at home parent. Braatz has worked on the election campaigns for state board of education member Patsy Koch Johns, state legislative candidate Larry Scherer, and presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. He has also volunteered for a number of issue campaigns, including campaigns related to income inequality, campaign finance, and bicycle advocacy.

Elections

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Lincoln, Nebraska (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

Braatz's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“	Since 2008, a motto of the city of Lincoln has been that we are a 'community of opportunity'. I believe if Lincoln is to truly be a 'community of opportunity' then we must look to expand these opportunities for now and the future. Opportunity To Be Listened To In my experience as a community member, volunteer, and activist it has been my privilege to lift the voices of others. Whether on the streets, in community organizations, or on the radio I look to amplify the causes of others, becoming a 'megaphone' for the people. I intend to bring the megaphone of public office to the people of Lincoln with ideas like these: As public servants, I believe the City Council should work to schedule all meetings at times that will encourage residents to attend. All meetings should be on weeknights after 6PM, so working residents can join in the conversations. I will continue to encourage, and at times join, the residents of Lincoln to raise their questions and their concerns. That means in City Hall, and in public demonstrations. When a group of people assert their 1st Amendment rights, we should engage them as we ask them to engage us at meetings. I pledge publicly to work with other public servants in Lincoln to install finance restrictions on Lincoln's municipal campaigns for public office. Our choices for representation should not be based on financial means, but on ideas. Good ideas come from anyone, and money shouldn't be a factor in getting great people into public servant positions. Opportunity To Live in a Cleaner Community I believe in the opportunity of a cleaner future for the next generations of Lincoln residents. Climate change is real, and we must continue to look at all options to mitigate the effects. I think there are three ways we can look to improve our city's part, now, in facing this global problem: I supported the Lincoln Recycling ballot petition, but believe that we should look at other ideas including moving all city buildings to renewable energy over a set period of time. I believe these plans makes sense by reducing our city’s ecological impact, and they make long-term financial sense to me as well. I commend LES for their residential programs that incentivize both energy-saving home investments, and participating in renewable energy production. I believe that options to make these programs more accessible to working family homeowners should be worked towrds quickly. Lincoln has a great park system, and active organizations that contribute to our community. I hope to foster communication between Parks & Recreation, some of those organizations, and the residents surrounding parks in how each area can be utilized best for the neighborhoods. Opportunity To Empower Young Residents Through Education It is essential to maintain a strong, public, education system that will give students the opportunity to grow. Investing in our young minds encourages fresh, new ideas for Lincoln and its future. I would like to collaborate with city leaders, LPS, parents, teachers, and students on these ideas: I believe in equal access to all programs regardless of a student's financial resources. Whether it be musical instruments, driver’s education, sports, or other opportunities we should make sure that every student is able to grow as much as they are able and willing to during their years in Lincoln Public Schools. All high school libraries/media centers should be open before or after school. With the growing reliance on technology as an educational tool, we have numerous students who require accessibility to PC's or the internet to succeed. 'The Academic Hour' at Lincoln East could be a model for this. A program that I've seen work at numerous elementary schools in Lincoln is outdoor gardens for educational purposes. These gardens are a rare educational opportunity for young students across our city, and I would like to see it expanded to all elementary schools. Opportunity to Feel Safe and Secure in our Community I believe all residents of Lincoln have the right to safe, inclusive environments and experiences during their daily lives. Forward looking conversations happen in our community when all are comfortable being themselves, and expressing their ideas, freely. I aim to explore how we can do these things if elected: We must continue to work to not only set procedure and policies concerning equality for all, but also work towards better practice. I believe that Lincoln is an inclusive community, but there is still work to be done. As a public servant, I intend to strengthen equal protections for residents when interacting with private companies or government offices. Trust, transparency, and conversations about any and all situations are key to an inclusive city. These are reasons that I believe that we should have an independent citizen review board to work together with the Lincoln Police Department and the city of Lincoln. When residents and public servants work together, each group opening up themselves to praise and questions, we have more trusting and honest conversations. I believe that the Lincoln Fire Department, and Lincoln Police Department do have needs as well. Lincoln must continue to make sure that all areas are covered adequately by all public emergency services. The City Council should ensure public servants have the tools and personnel that enable everyone to get thru emergency situations safely. Opportunity of Equality For All Residents I strongly support the idea that human rights means an equal opportunity for all Lincoln residents to live 'The Good Life'. Treating others as we would be treated should not be a rule, but a standard we continue to strive for. By engaging with all willing members of the city, we can continue progress to this achievable goal. I believe that for Lincoln to continue to be a 'community of opportunity' we should seek these paths, and more, that lead all to the promise of our state. If we work together on changes going forward, we can make a good Lincoln better.	”
—Lou Braatz III's campaign website, (2017)

In response to a question from the Lincoln Journal Star about his goals for the city council, Braatz said, "To make a good Lincoln better, together. We can and should make sure that all ideas are listened to from any resident in our city. If residents want to criticize, discuss, or propose ideas, or run for public office I want to be known as the councilperson who's holding open the door."

In response to a question about the city's three most important services, he said, "City services immediately affect our common quality of life in Lincoln for our neighbors in different ways. As an at-large councilperson it's my job to be a public servant to all neighbors, and their priorities."

Endorsements

2017

Braatz received endorsements from the following in 2017:

• Democracy for America
• Our Revolution

See also

Lincoln, Nebraska	Nebraska	Municipal government	Other local coverage

External links

Suggest a link

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