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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - As Women’s History Month highlights the achievements of women in society and culture, one woman has served the metro area community for more than three decades.
Douglas County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson, a republican, got into politics at the urging of her husband.
“It was an open seat back in ’94 and he said throw your name in there, and I literally knew nothing about politics,” Borgeson said.
First woman elected chair of the commission
Borgeson learned fast, soon becoming the first woman elected as chairwoman of the commission. She never thought she would be in county politics for 32 years.
“It’s half my life, half my life that I’ve been a Douglas County commissioner,” she said.
Speaking her mind regardless of party
For half of her life, Borgeson used her political voice to speak her mind, no matter what position her party took on the issue.
“No way is that OK. No one should have to go to jail in order to get mental health services,” she said.
“The question was asked where did this come from — well, look across the country. I mean, seriously, all this is people throwing out misnomers, untruths about voter fraud,” Borgeson said.
“People always thought that was going to be my downfall,” she said. “The party didn’t like that about me, but that’s how I operated for all these years and I’m not going to stop. When it’s wrong, it’s wrong. When it’s right, it’s right.”
Mental health advocacy
Mental health was one of the issues Borgeson was passionate about, working hard to remove the stigma for those dealing with mental health problems.
“The more you talk about it, to me the better, because that means people feel freer and safer to talk about it and are more apt to reach out if they do need help,” she said.
A role model for young women
Standing up, speaking her mind, being photographed with people who have different political opinions, and being a woman in the world of politics — Borgeson was always aware that she is a role model and that young women are always watching.
“If anything, it made me a better person, because that’s what I wanted to portray to young women — that they could do it. I mean, I was an X-ray technologist and became a county commissioner,” she said.
Reflecting on experience leaving local politics
Former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert lost her seat in the last mayoral election after serving 12 years, and now Borgeson is retiring from politics after 32 years.
“I think we both have done a great job in the jobs that we’ve had for those years, but again, you know, there are others that are in line behind us that will do the job, and I hope that they do it well,” Borgeson said.
Borgeson said being a woman in politics is tough and that decisions she made in her career were made on the merits of the issues, not politics.
“I’m not out to prove anything to anybody, to be honest with ya. I’m doing the best that I can, and it’s me I have to look at every day in the mirror. You know, my daddy told me that a long time ago,” she said.
Borgeson says she wants to spend more time at home with family. She says she has no intentions of getting back into politics in the current environment, saying politics has become too toxic.
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