Mark Martinez defeats Aaron Hanson in Douglas County sheriff race

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Mark Martinez will become the next Douglas County sheriff after defeating incumbent Aaron Hanson in one of two major Democratic upsets in the county Tuesday.

Makayla Danner also defeated longtime Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.

As Martinez prepares to replace Hanson, he brings more than three decades of law enforcement experience to the sheriff’s office, including time with the U.S. Marshals Service. Martinez is also a graduate of Omaha South High School and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Martinez said one of the biggest differences between himself and Hanson is the type of relationship he wants the sheriff’s office to have with the community.

“Serving on non-profit boards and the fact that I've tried to serve others,” Martinez said. “And the combination of the two, the experience and my community mindedness I think resonated with a lot of voters.”

One area where Martinez expects his approach to differ is cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Martinez said potential cooperation with ICE would be considered on a case-by-case basis. He said he does not plan to involve the sheriff’s office in immigration enforcement actions or raids unless he believes there is a clear need to do so.

“I'll listen, but I certainly won't be involved in any enforcement actions, any raids, that's off the table ... until I see an absolute necessity,” Martinez said.

Martinez has also criticized budget overruns under Hanson and said managing the sheriff’s office budget will be a priority when he takes office.

“You mind your budget,” Martinez said. “That's what leaders do, people with experience.”

Martinez acknowledged that Democratic victories around the country may have provided some momentum for his campaign.

However, he believes the differences between himself and Hanson, particularly in experience, leadership style and relationship with the community, ultimately resonated with Douglas County voters.

Martinez will now prepare to take the reins of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office following his upset victory.

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