Don Wesely

Don Wesely
49th Mayor of Lincoln
In office May 17, 1999 – May 19, 2003
Preceded by	Dale Young
Succeeded by	Coleen Seng
Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 26th district
In office 1979–1999
Preceded by	Louis Emry
Succeeded by	Marian Price
Personal details
Born	(1954-03-30)March 30, 1954 David City, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	March 19, 2025(2025-03-19) (aged 70)
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Don Wesely (March 30, 1954 – March 19, 2025) was the 49th mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska who previously served in the Nebraska Legislature from 1979 to 1999.

Biography

Wesely was born March 30, 1954, in David City, Nebraska. He graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School, then went on to receive his B.A. Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1977 and attended graduate school at UNL. Wesely had three children.

Political career

Wesely was first elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 1978. He was only twenty-four when elected and was a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was the third-youngest person ever to serve in that body. Wesely was a member of the Democratic Party. During his tenure, more than 300 legislative initiatives sponsored or co-sponsored by Wesely were successfully enacted into state law. His committee work included 14 years as Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee. When he retired after 20 years in the legislature, Wesely was the eighth longest serving state senator in Nebraska history. He was only forty-four years-old upon his retirement from the legislature.

In 1999, Wesely was elected mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, with 56% of the vote. He served only one term as Mayor. Following his departure from the mayor's office, he became a lobbyist for the state legislature.

Wesely was a delegate to the 1996 Democratic National Convention and the 2000 Democratic National Convention. On March 19, 2025, Wesley died aged 70.

External Links

• Don Wesely at IMDb