Chris Beutler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Beutler
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| 51st Mayor of Lincoln | |
| In office May 14, 2007 – May 20, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Coleen Seng |
| Succeeded by | Leirion Gaylor Baird |
| Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 28th district |
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| In office January 1991 – January 2007 |
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| Preceded by | James McFarland |
| Succeeded by | Bill Avery |
| In office January 1979 – January 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Roland Luedtke |
| Succeeded by | James McFarland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 14, 1944 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Yale University (BA) University of Nebraska–Lincoln (JD) |
Chris Beutler (born November 14, 1944) is an American politician. He served as the Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, from 2007 to 2019. Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the Nebraska Legislature. This is the group of people who make laws for the state of Nebraska. He served there from 1979 to 1986 and again from 1991 to 2006. Chris Beutler is part of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Learning
Chris Beutler was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1944. He finished high school in 1962. He then went to Yale University and graduated in 1966. Later, he studied law at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law, finishing in 1973.
Before starting his political career, Chris Beutler helped others. He was a teacher in Turkey with the U.S. Peace Corps from 1966 to 1967. He also served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant from 1969 to 1971.
Chris Beutler is married to Judy Beutler. Together, they have five children: Lori, Alexa, Erica, Mikahla, and Sam. They also have seven grandchildren.
Political Career
Chris Beutler began his political journey in 1978. He was elected to the Nebraska Legislature to represent a part of Lincoln. He was reelected in 1982. He later resigned in 1986.
He was elected to the Legislature again in 1990. He continued to be reelected in 1994, 1998, and 2002. During his last time in the Legislature, he worked on important committees. These included the Appropriations and Executive Board committees. He also led the Legislative Performance Audit committee. Because of rules about how many terms a person can serve, he could not run for the Legislature again right away.
Becoming Mayor of Lincoln
On September 15, 2006, Chris Beutler announced he wanted to become the Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska. The mayor at the time, Coleen Seng, decided not to run again. Beutler's main goals for Lincoln were to make it a great city. He wanted to improve safety, create a strong economy, and give the city a special feeling.
In the first election round on April 3, 2007, Chris Beutler received the most votes. He won 48 percent of the votes. In the final election on May 1, he won against Ken Svoboda by a close margin. He became mayor and started his first term on May 14, 2007.
Serving Multiple Terms
Chris Beutler ran for mayor again in 2011. He was challenged by Tammy Buffington. In the first round of voting, Beutler received 66 percent of the votes. In the final election on May 3, he won again with 64.68 percent of the votes.
He decided to run for a third term as mayor on January 13, 2015. His opponents were Andy Stebbing and Rene Solc. In the first election round on April 7, Beutler received 52.90 percent of the votes. In the final election on May 5, he won against Andy Stebbing. This made him the first mayor in Lincoln's history to be elected for a third term.
New Term Limits
In 2018, some politicians worked to change the city's rules. They wanted to limit how many terms a mayor could serve. They created an amendment that would stop the mayor from running for a fourth term. This rule was specifically designed to prevent Chris Beutler from running again the next year. On November 6, 2018, the people of Lincoln voted. They approved this new rule, which meant Chris Beutler could not run for mayor again.
