Cavanaugh Most Qualified Applicant to Fill Legislative Vacancy

Omaha, NE --  Today the open application for those who seek appointment to fill the Legislative District 6 (LD6) vacancy created by the resignation of former State Senator Joni Craighead is closing. LD6 resident Machaela Cavanaugh remains the most qualified applicant and Governor Ricketts should act quickly to appoint Cavanaugh to fill the seat.

“When I declared my candidacy for LD6 in July, I told the residents of the district that I was ready to go to Lincoln to represent their needs and concerns in the Capitol.”  Cavanaugh said. “Since my announcement, I have been out talking to the residents of my district and listening to their concerns. I am ready to start working for LD6 and to bring a voice to the priorities of the residents to the floor of the legislature.  It is time to get to work on tax relief, investments in education, quality child care, protecting our seniors, and growing the good-paying jobs.”

Cavanaugh, an Omaha native with a record of involvement in public affairs and community engagement, announced in July that she will be a candidate for the Nebraska Legislature from District 6 in the 2018 election.  She is the only applicant for appointment who has announced her intentions to run for the seat.

“I have been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement that I have received and I ask Governor Ricketts to hear these voices, act quickly, and allow me to begin serving my neighbors in Legislative District 6. I am ready.”

Cavanaugh works at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. Prior to her work with the Buffett Institute, Cavanaugh served as the Director of Development for Opera Omaha and the American Province of the Servants of Mary, and as a Staff Assistant for U.S. Senator Ben Nelson.

Cavanaugh graduated from Marian High School and obtained her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

Cavanaugh serves on the Board of Directors of Inclusive Communities and is a member of the Preschool Advisory Committee at Morning Star Preschool. She resides in the Peony Park Neighborhood with her husband, Nick Brotzel, and their daughters, Della and Harriet.