From the archives: Omaha voters sent two Black lawmakers to the Legislature in 1926
The Monitor reported that Dr. John A. Singleton and Ferdinand L. Barnett were the first Black candidates elected to the Nebraska Legislature since the early 1890s.
Omaha Commons revisits reporting from The Monitor, bringing stories of Omaha’s people and community life to today’s readers.
OMAHA — Douglas County voters sent two Black candidates to the Nebraska Legislature in 1926, The Monitor reported on its Nov. 5, 1926, front page. The weekly, edited by the Rev. John Albert Williams, said the result ended “a political drouth of over thirty years.”
Republicans Dr. John A. Singleton and Ferdinand L. Barnett won their House races on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Singleton, an Omaha-born dentist who graduated from Central High School and Howard University, defeated Democrat J. J. Barry in the 9th District by 361 votes. Barnett took the 10th District, by 141 votes over his closest rival, Democrat R. E. Roche.
Barnett had lived in Omaha since 1887. In 1889 he started The Progress, which The Monitor called the city’s first Black newspaper, and published it for 17 years. The Monitor noted that other papers had mocked his campaign because he worked as head janitor at the city jail.
The paper said no Black candidate had been elected to the Legislature since the early 1890s, when Dr. M. O. Ricketts won twice from Douglas County. It added that both were chosen to represent “all the people of their respective districts.”
The report preserves a milestone in Omaha’s civic life and the Black press’s part in rallying voters.
Source: The Monitor (Omaha, Neb.), Nov. 5, 1926, page 1, “Republicans Elect Two Race Candidates to the Legislature,” “Winner of Legislative Seat From Ninth District” and “Ferdinand L. Barnett, Representative From the Tenth District,” Library of Congress, Chronicling America: The Monitor, Nov. 5, 1926, image 1.
How we checked this: Reported from The Monitor (Omaha), Nov. 5, 1926, issue, page 1, via the Library of Congress's Chronicling America archive, opened Nov. 4, 2026, at 6:24 a.m. CT, and checked against the record by our copy desk before publishing.