The League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha contacts candidates during each election cycle and invites them to participate in the print and online editions of the Voters’ Guide. Candidates provide their biographical information and their positions on selected issues. Candidates are aware in advance that the biographies and answers will be printed exactly as submitted without edits for content, spelling, punctuation or grammar.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that never supports or opposes any political party or candidate for office.
PDF of 2020 Primary Douglas County Voters’ Guide | Find voter information specific to your ballot at vote411.org.
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Candidates
Tim Davis (R):
Website: http://timjdavis.comm
Occupation: Candidate
Education: Two diplomas in Construction and Entrepreneurship. These were received from Southeast Community College and Western Iowa Tech.
Volunteer experience: Volunteered on the Don Bacon Campaign in 2018 One of the Douglas County Republican Volunteer of the Year in 2019.
Krystal Gabel (R):
Website: www.krystalgabel.com
Occupation: Cybersecurity Technical Writer and Business Analyst
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Writing, magna cum laude, Briar Cliff University, 2002
Volunteer experience: I am a grassroots volunteer who co-owns the Peace Garden of South Omaha at 33rd Ave & R St, a community garden that grows and gives away free vegetables and herbs to anyone who stops by Free Food Saturdays from June-October.
Crystal Rhoades (D):
Website: www.crystalrhoades.com
Current Public Office, dates held: Commissioner Nebraska Public Service Commission 2015 – present.
Past Public Office, dates held: Metropolitan Community College Board 2006-2014.
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science, University of Nebraska, Omaha.
Military experience: None.
Volunteer experience: Chairwoman Douglas County Democratic Party 2016 – Present, National Association of Regulatory Commissioners, Vice Chair of Telecommunications Committee and the Rural Broadband Expansion Task Force.
Candidate Responses
Why are you the best candidate for this position?
Tim Davis: When I get elected, I will work to get the most up to date broadband service to the voters ahead of schedule. I will make sure the life-saving 911 system is in place allowing for fast response times. I will work to make sure we have the best rates available for all ride sharing options on the market.
Krystal Gabel: I am the up-and-coming conservative candidate who can win the General Election against the incumbent. I am dedicated to becoming a public servant who is transparent and accessible to all Nebraskans. I advocate for limited government and increased freedom from taxation, regulation, and oppressive laws. I believe in protecting all individuals, their natural rights and liberties, and their private properties from irrational establishment authority.
Crystal Rhoades: This position requires a detailed knowledge of telecommunications infrastructure, consumer protection law, transportation law, and the ability to understand complex technical topics. I have a proven track record of working with state and federal law and policy makers to produce results for constituents. During my tenure I’ve worked with the legislature to pass laws that legalized ride sharing, legislation to reduce robocalls, and improved accountability for companies receiving public grants. I
If elected, what would be your first-year priorities?
Tim Davis: I plan to sit down and discuss with the various cellular providers in the market to discuss what issues they are having when it comes to implementing the updated broadband services. I will also look into the Next Gen 911 system to make sure we are getting the best services possible.
Krystal Gabel: My priorities are to make the office of PSC work entirely for The People, including our right to freely participate and succeed in commerce. I will encourage a reducton in overbearing regulations and focus on making Nebraska’s regulatory bodies more efficient with taxpayer dollars. I promise to find gaps in how PSC and our taxes are managed and push to streamline to reduce taxpayer burden. I am one of many who is saying NO to new taxes and overbearing regulations.
Crystal Rhoades: I’ll continue to improve oversight of government funds such as 911 and universal service to ensure customers are getting high quality services at the lowest cost. When I started at the Commission the audits for 911 were running 3-5 years behind. I advocated to get those completed so taxpayers would have confidence their money was being spent appropriately. I’ve also been an advocate at the state and local level to expand access to high speed internet for low income customers and will continue t
What are the three most important issues your community/county is facing and how would you address them?
Tim Davis: District 2 has a number of issues they deal with. First of which is the 911 response time. There have been a number of instances where services took longer than it should have. When I get elected I will review what is needed to make sure Next Gen 911 is up and running to minimize future response time. I will work closely with the telcom providers in the state to make sure that the voters are getting the most up to date broadband services at the best possible prices.
Krystal Gabel: 1) Nebraska is facing a mismanagement of taxpayer money. 2) We are passing bonds to make ends meet in education, infrastructure, and public services, yet lawmakers are still asking for money without any sustainable solutions. This must stop. I don’t expect our residents to continue paying for everything. 3) We must be resourceful and forward-thinking in how we earn revenue and create jobs, including privatizing utilities as a solution to public sector budgetary problems and taxpayer burden.
Crystal Rhoades: 1. Funding and improving 911 call center reliability is critical in Douglas County. Currently our community has the highest call volume and contributes more to the 911 fund than any other county but we receive a fraction of the funding back to support our call center. I will work with other stakeholders to find a more equitable distribution of funding that is based on call volume and population. 2. There are frequent telephone outages in Douglas County resulting from failure to invest in our inf
