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City of Lincoln · Statewide General Election

Lincoln City Council, District 2

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person would serve a 4-year term on Lincoln's five-member City Council. Members are elected by district; the Council selects a Mayor each year by rotation rather than voters electing a separate mayor.

Incumbent Ben Brown faces former Lincoln councilmember and business attorney Spencer D. Short for City Council District 2. The higher vote total wins.

Lincoln's five councilmembers are elected by district to staggered four-year terms. The Council rotates the Mayor's role annually rather than voters electing a separate mayor.

Both candidates bring council experience: Brown from the term now ending and Short from earlier service beginning in 2000.

Ben Brown

Ben Brown is the sitting District 2 councilmember. His reelection site says his first term deepened his understanding of city operations and identifies three commitments: public safety, responsible financial stewardship, and stronger community partnerships. His detailed priorities also address growth, infrastructure, the regional airport, economic development, and homelessness through partnerships with nonprofits and service providers.

Strengths

A current term of council experience and a detailed forward-looking platform.

Trade-offs

As the incumbent, he is accountable for the Council's current direction.

Keep in mind

Platform claims come from his own campaign site and describe intentions, not guaranteed outcomes.

Spencer D. Short

Spencer D. Short is a business attorney and former Lincoln councilmember. Ballotpedia's account of a 2011 recall effort says he was first elected in 2000 and reelected in 2004 and 2008; the recall campaign was later abandoned without a vote.

Strengths

Extensive prior council experience and a legal/business background.

Trade-offs

His service was years ago, and little detailed 2026 platform material was found.

Keep in mind

The historical recall page documents a past controversy and its abandonment; it does not by itself establish Short's current positions.

Source review: Mixed (78/100) · 6 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with several source types checked for context; advocacy or endorsement sources are treated as attributed perspective.

Review note: Holly Andreatta's reelection website: personal background and stated commitment to continue representing Lincoln residents., Ben Brown's reelection website: first-term reflection and detailed priorities., and Christine Colvin Treshchuk's campaign website: biography and five-part platform. may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.

  • lincolnca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Lincoln official November 2026 election page: identifies Districts 1 and 2 as four-year seats and lists the two qualified candidates in each district.
  • lincolnca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Lincoln official council page: documents the five-member, district-elected council, rotating mayor, and Andreatta and Brown as sitting District 1 and 2 councilmembers whose terms end in 2026.
  • hdandreatta.wixsite.com (opens in a new tab)Holly Andreatta's reelection website: personal background and stated commitment to continue representing Lincoln residents.
  • lincoln2026.com (opens in a new tab)Christine Colvin Treshchuk's campaign website: says she moved to Lincoln in 2006, has more than 20 years leading businesses, and lists fiscal stewardship, responsible growth, economic development, public safety, and transparency as priorities.
  • votebenbrown.com (opens in a new tab)Ben Brown's reelection website: reflects on his first council term and gives detailed priorities on public safety, stewardship, growth, the regional airport, and homelessness partnerships.
  • ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia, 'Paul Joiner, Spencer Short and Tom Cosgrove recall, Lincoln, California (2011)': documents Short's 2000 election and 2004 and 2008 reelections to the Lincoln council and the abandoned 2011 recall effort.

Last updated September 3, 2026.