# Gwen Howard

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**Gwen E. Howard** (born 1945) is a politician from the U.S. state of [Nebraska](/source/Nebraska). She served two terms in the [Nebraska Legislature](/source/Nebraska_Legislature), from 2005 to 2013, representing an Omaha district.

Howard was born Gwen E. Middaugh, on June 24, 1945, in [Douglas County, Nebraska](/source/Douglas_County,_Nebraska). She graduated from [Omaha Benson High School](/source/Omaha_Benson_High_School_Magnet) in 1963. In 1967, she received a degree in sociology and psychology from [Midland Lutheran College](/source/Midland_University); in 1974, a master's degree in social work from the [University of Nebraska Omaha](/source/University_of_Nebraska_Omaha). She married David Howard, who was killed in a car accident in 1981; and had two daughters, Carrie Howard and [Sara Howard](/source/Sara_Howard_(politician)). She worked as a social worker and adoption specialist.[1][2][3]

In 2004, Howard ran for the Nebraska Legislature from the 9th District, consisting of a portion of midtown Omaha.[4] Incumbent [Chip Maxwell](/source/Chip_Maxwell), a member of the [Republican Party](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)), had decided to run for the [Douglas County](/source/Douglas_County,_Nebraska) Board of Commissioners rather than seeking re-election.[5][6] In the nonpartisan primary, [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) Howard received 43% of the vote; Republican Scott Knudsen, a Republican mortgage banker who had unsuccessfully run for the seat in 2000, received 32%; and R. Anthony Metz received 25%.[6][7][8] As the top two vote-getters, Howard and Knudsen moved on to the general election, in which Howard won the seat, with 56.7% of the vote to Knudsen's 43.3%.[9]

In 2008, Howard ran unopposed for re-election to her seat in the Legislature.[10][11]

During her legislative career, Howard served as vice-chairperson of the Education Committee and the Committee on Committees; she also sat on the Health and Human Services Committee and the Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, and as one of Nebraska's seven commissioners in the interstate [Education Commission of the States](/source/Education_Commission_of_the_States).[12][13]

Nebraska's term-limits law left Howard ineligible to run for a third consecutive term in the Legislature in 2012. She ran for the 2nd District seat in the U.S. Congress, held by Republican [Lee Terry](/source/Lee_Terry). In the Democratic primary, she lost to Douglas County treasurer John Ewing, taking 38% of the vote to Ewing's 62%.[2][14] Ewing lost the general election, with 49.2% of the vote to incumbent Terry's 50.8%.[15] Meanwhile, Howard's daughter, Sara Howard, ran for the seat that Howard was vacating. Sara, a Democrat, came in first in the three-way nonpartisan primary, and defeated Republican Erica Fish in the general election.[16][17][18]

In 2014, Howard was elected to an at-large seat on the [Metropolitan Utilities District](/source/Metropolitan_Utilities_District) (MUD) board. MUD is a publicly owned utility that provides water and natural gas to the Omaha metropolitan area.[19][20][21]

## References

1. [*Nebraska Blue Book 2004–2005*](http://nlcs1.nlc.state.ne.us/statepubsonline/pubs/LegisBios/leg2004-2005.pdf), p. 303. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. Murray, Robyn. ["Howard jumps into race for Congress".](https://web.archive.org/web/20150227163816/http://www.kvnonews.com/2011/10/howard-jumps-into-race-for-congress/) [KVNO News.](https://web.archive.org/web/20110310015729/http://www.kvnonews.com/category/news/) 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. Dircks, Mary Lee Harvey. ["Senator Sara Howard".](http://www.todaysomahawoman.com/news/winter-2014/senator-sarah-howard/) [*Today's Omaha Woman*.](http://www.todaysomahawoman.com/) Winter 2014. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. For a map of the Omaha districts, including District 9, as they were from 2001 to 2011, see [*Nebraska Cities, Villages, and Counties: Their Location Within the Legislative Districts Established by Laws 2001, LB 852*](http://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/reports/research/districts2001.pdf), p. 60 (p. 68 of the PDF file); [Nebraska Legislature](http://nebraskalegislature.gov/); retrieved 2015-02-27. For a street map of District 9, see ["Legislative District 9 - LB 852 (2001)"](http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/maps/legislature/Dist09.pdf); [Nebraska Legislature](http://nebraskalegislature.gov/); retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Legislature losing 74 years of experience next year".](http://fremonttribune.com/news/local/legislature-losing-years-of-experience-next-year/article_5763c053-8f9f-5724-9a49-c8ec21dac2d5.html) [*Fremont Tribune*.](http://fremonttribune.com/) 2004-04-10. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. Bauer, Scott. ["Legislature to have more women, Democrats".](http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/legislature-to-have-more-women-democrats/article_5aafc8ae-dbce-5b4e-8a4a-2c8f08496938.html) [*Lincoln Journal Star*.](http://journalstar.com/) 2004-11-07. Retrieved 2015-02-25.

1. ["Legislative Races Feature Historic First, Three Incumbent Upsets".](http://www.yankton.net/community/article_c3ac157f-a112-5328-9361-305ba29c857f.html) [*Yankton Press & Dakotan*.](http://www.yankton.net/) 2000-11-09. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Member of the Legislature" (2004 primary results).](http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/canvass/primary2004/UNICAM.htm) [Nebraska Secretary of State.](http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html) Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Member of the Legislature" (2004 general election results).](http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/canvass/general2004/UNICAM.htm) [Nebraska Secretary of State.](http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html) Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. Howard, Ed. ["Kleeb: Bright hope for Democrats".](http://www.npbulletin.com/printable.asp?show=news&action=readStory&mode=&UID=&paymentID=&docID=&runID=&adID=&issueID=&reportType=&print=true&latest=&pageID=3&sectionID=5&storyID=14589&obitID=&pubDate=&siteID=314&publicationID=) [*North Platte Bulletin*.](http://www.northplattebulletin.com/) 2008-06-02.

1. ["Official Results of Nebraska General Election - November 4, 2008"](http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/pdf/2008%20General%20Canvass%20Book.pdf), p. 16. [Nebraska Secretary of State.](http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html) Retrieved 2015-02-25.

1. [*Nebraska Blue Book 2010–2011*](http://nlcs1.nlc.state.ne.us/statepubsonline/pubs/LegisBios/leg2010-2011.pdf), p. 295. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["2012 ECS Annual Report"](http://www.ecs.org/html/aboutecs/documents/AnnualReport2012web.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150118152542/http://www.ecs.org/html/aboutECS/documents/AnnualReport2012web.pdf) January 18, 2015 at the Wayback Machine, p. 12. Retrieved 2015-02-27. [Archived 2015-01-18](https://web.archive.org/web/20150118152542/http://www.ecs.org/html/aboutECS/documents/AnnualReport2012web.pdf) at [Wayback Machine](https://archive.org/web/).

1. ["Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: Primary Election, May 15, 2012"](http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2012/pdf/canvass-report-2012-primary.pdf), p. 27. [Nebraska Secretary of State.](http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html) Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Official Results of Nebraska General Election - November 6, 2012"](http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2012/pdf/2012-general-canvass.pdf), p. 13. [Nebraska Secretary of State.](http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html) Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. Mastre, Brian. ["District 9 Race: Newcomers With Experience".](http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/District-9-Race-Newcomers-With-Experience-173060441.html) [WOWT.](http://www.wowt.com/) 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: Primary Election, May 15, 2012"](http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2012/pdf/canvass-report-2012-primary.pdf), p. 33. [Nebraska Secretary of State.](http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html) Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Official Results of Nebraska General Election - November 6, 2012"](http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2012/pdf/2012-general-canvass.pdf), p. 14. [Nebraska Secretary of State.](http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html) Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. Winchester, Cody. ["Last at-large election to bring at least one new Metropolitan Utilities District board member".](http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/last-at-large-election-to-bring-at-least-one-new/article_91f51ea2-cc06-52dd-8cc9-28f51bb3e7f8.html) [*Omaha World-Herald*.](http://www.omaha.com/) 2014-10-26. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Your New Board of Directors!"](http://www.mudomaha.com/blog/your-new-board-directors) [Metropolitan Utilities District.](http://www.mudomaha.com/) Retrieved 2015-02-27. [Archived 2015-02-27](https://web.archive.org/web/20150227174713/http://www.mudomaha.com/blog/your-new-board-directors/) at [Wayback Machine](https://archive.org/web/).

1. ["About Us".](http://www.mudomaha.com/about-us) [Metropolitan Utilities District.](http://www.mudomaha.com/) Retrieved 2015-02-27.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gwen Howard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Howard) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Howard?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.