Omaha, NE — Tony Vargas, a former candidate for Congress and elected officeholder for more than a decade, has confirmed he is running for Douglas County treasurer in the 2026 election.
The former Nebraska state senator for South Omaha joins the county race with the support of Omaha Mayor John Ewing, who held the treasurer’s spot for 18 years before resigning in June to take on his latest role as mayor.
Prior to Vargas’ eight years in the Legislature — he termed out of the lawmaking role last year — he served on the Omaha Public Schools Board. Vargas, 40, began his career as a public school teacher and twice ran unsuccessfully for the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District seat, losing tight races to now-retiring U.S. Rep Don Bacon, R-Neb.
State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)
“From the classroom as a middle school science teacher to the school board, and from the Nebraska Legislature to my run for Congress, public service and giving back to my community has always been at the core of my life’s work,” said Vargas, currently executive director of Square One, a national leadership nonprofit founded by a group of Obama administration alumni and entrepreneurs.
Vargas said his attraction to the treasurer’s post stems from work that fulfilled him while serving eight years on the Legislature’s budget-setting Appropriations Committee.
“Being a steward of our state government resources, protecting taxpayer interests and making sure we are being fiscally sound has been something I really enjoyed doing,” he said, foreseeing such skills transferring to the treasurer job.
He said he “worked across party lines” to help deliver balanced budgets and strived to ensure that tax dollars provided efficient and quality services.
Republicans regularly criticized Vargas during his congressional races for missing votes, which he explained as having to do with his committee work in the Legislature.
Vargas said he was proud of a fiscal planning law he championed in 2019 that allowed lawmakers to better forecast revenue. He said he backed legislation to strengthen public schools and to improve access to health care and consumer protections.
As treasurer of the most populous county in the state, charged with overseeing the collection of taxes, Vargas said his goals would include following through on the office’s recent technology infrastructure updates.
Earlier this week, another Democrat, Christian Espinosa Torres, assistant director of the Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department, announced his candidacy for the treasurer’s job.
Vargas said he entered the race with more than $50,000 to start his campaign.
“Now more than ever, Nebraskans need leaders who are dedicated to listening to and serving them and who have a track record of getting things done that make their lives better,” Vargas said.
Vargas earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Rochester and a master’s degree in education at Pace University. He serves as a board member of the Latino Economic Development Council, the Rose Children’s Theatre, Partnership for Kids and Opera Omaha.
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