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By the end of the evening, Yoakum had 51% of the vote to challenger Jeremy Kuehn’s nearly 49%, though she led by just 451 votes and more than 6,700 provisional and early vote ballots still need to be counted.

Johnson ended the night with a more substantial lead: 54%, to Republican David Russell’s 45%, or 3,007 votes.

If their leads hold, the victories will strengthen a Democratic majority on the five-member board, with Matt Schulte the only Republican.

Yoakum, 66, is running for her second term representing District 2 in the northwest part of the county. She was appointed in 2019 after Jennifer Williams left for a job in the mayor’s office, and then was elected to a four-year term.

Her challenger, Kuehn, 34, moved to Lincoln from his home in Arkansas to be a pastor at Christ Place Church in Lincoln.

Early in the evening, Yoakum said that if her and Johnson's leads hold, she's excited for what the board could accomplish. 

"I'm glad to be able to continue the work we got started, especially around mental health, and dealing with the jail population."

She said she also thinks the fact that she has lived her whole life in the community, as well as the work she's done on the board and in other roles, is important.

Kuehn said his experience in business and as the son of a sheriff’s deputy would give him a fresh perspective on the board.

Johnson, 34, and Russell, 49, competed for the District 4 seat, which includes the eastern part of Lincoln and Lancaster County.

District 4 Commissioner Roma Amundson is not running for reelection. A Republican, she endorsed Johnson.

Johnson is serving her second term on the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District and, for the last decade, has been deputy director of Conservation Nebraska, where she has worked to bring people together around clean air and safe drinking water. In 2021, she was appointed to the Lincoln Electric System board.

Russell, who was in the Air Force for 10 years and then worked for private military contractors before going into business, is director of digital solutions for Nebraska Municipal Power Pool. He has said his military and business experience has shown him how to work with diverse groups of people to find solutions.

Johnson said early in the evening she was cautiously optimistic and thinks her commitment to property tax relief, which she demonstrated as a member of the Lower Platte South NRD, resonated with voters, as did her focus on making housing more affordable for residents. 

All the candidates campaigned on finding ways to lower the property tax burden on residents, improving infrastructure and supporting public safety.