Omaha Mayor Accuses Sheriff of Leading an 'Occupying Army' in Endorsement of Challenger
by Matt Johnson
OMAHA — Mark Martinez held a kickoff event for his campaign for Douglas County Sheriff on Tuesday evening, joined by around 60 guests at Beacon Hills restaurant at Aksarben Village. The Democratic candidate hopes to unseat Republican Aaron Hanson this fall, who has served as Douglas County Sheriff since 2023.
Among the guests were prominent local Democrats, including former state senator Tony Vargas, congressional candidate Crystal Rhoades, Omaha city council member Ron Hug, former congressman John Cavanaugh, and Omaha Mayor John Ewing.
Ewing helped recruit Martinez to run and sharply criticized the current administration under Sheriff Hanson, which he described as an “occupying army” in the city of Omaha.
“We need someone who won’t come into the city of Omaha like an occupying army,” Ewing said. “We want someone who will be a partner with the Omaha Police Department and will work with us as we look to keep this city one of the safest cities in America.”
When asked for clarification, Ewing emphasized “community policing” as a priority for the sheriff’s office.
“They aren’t focusing on community policing like the Omaha Police Department is, and that’s the image that they have with some of the people in the community,” Ewing said. “That’s the biggest fundamental difference between the Omaha Police Department that I started on in 1982 and the organization today.”
Martinez, when asked about Hanson’s office acting as an “occupying army,” pointed to a leaked letter from Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer to Sheriff Hanson in June 2025. In this letter, Schmaderer criticized Hanson’s administration for acting as a “primary enforcement agency within the city.”
“There seems to be an understanding that Sheriff Hanson is overstepping his bounds,” Martinez said. “The Omaha Police Department and its jurisdiction in the county, and the county and its jurisdiction — that’s never been an issue. Well, now it seems to be an issue.”
In a statement to The Plains Sentinel, Hanson said his office was working “diligently to keep Douglas County safe” and was doing so “hand in hand with other law enforcement agencies, including OPD.”
“Our Community Action Team is taking dangerous street racers and reckless drivers off the road, reducing illegal tent encampments, and protecting senior citizens from financial scams,” he said. “I’m proud of the work the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is doing.”
Martinez said the driving force of his campaign is experience. He cited more than 35 years in law enforcement — beginning as a crime scene investigator with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, rising through the Omaha Police Department from patrol officer to deputy chief (overseeing all four precincts), and serving eight-and-a-half years as a U.S. Marshal appointed by President Obama.
“I don’t think Union Pacific or Mutual of Omaha would hire a person, maybe make one promotion, and then have that person be the CEO,” Martinez said. “That’s a recipe for disaster. And I think, frankly, that’s what we’re seeing now at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the lack of experience.”
Martinez was briefly removed from the ballot for lacking an active law enforcement officer certificate required of law enforcement officers. On March 18, 2026, Nebraska Supreme Court Justice William B. Cassel reinstated him, ruling that the plain language of the unambiguous statute does not distinguish between an active and inactive certificate.
As the campaign gets underway, fundraising is now a priority for Martinez, who noted that his opponent “has gobs and gobs of money.” Among his supporters in the room were several family members, including his older sister, Lela Remijio, whom Martinez called “the boss of our family.” Remijio will be planning a fundraiser later this year.
Nebraska is one of 46 states where county sheriffs are elected by the public rather than appointed, unlike city police chiefs. This fall, voters will decide who will serve as Douglas County Sheriff. Both Hanson and Martinez are the nominees of their respective parties and will face each other in the general election on November 3, 2026.
— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.
