Updated May 13, 2026 at 1:17 AM CDT
OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska's second congressional district remains one of the few places in the country with competitive races where persuading voters across party lines could still make the difference in a candidate's success this November.
The Republican nominee, Brinker Harding, who was endorsed by President Trump, ran unopposed in Tuesday's primary.
Yet the Democratic primary remains too close to call with Denise Powell holding a narrow lead over Nebraska State Sen. John Cavanaugh, according to the latest results by The Associated Press.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon has held the seat since 2017 but announced his retirement last year. The city of Omaha, which makes up much of the state's second congressional district, is known for not leaning as far right when compared to Nebraska as a whole.
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While Republicans in this congressional district have the most registered voters, Democrats and independent voters combined outnumber them, according to recent data from the Nebraska Secretary of State.
A race that could have consequences for Nebraska's 'blue dot'
Omaha is also known as the blue dot when it comes to electoral politics.
The Democratic primary attracted large amounts of outside spending spurred in part by Democratic aligned donors and groups who were concerned that a Cavanaugh win would solidify a Republican supermajority in the state legislature.
Cavanaugh currently serves as a Nebraska State Senator representing a safely Democratic district in central Omaha. If Cavanaugh heads to Washington, Nebraska's Republican governor would get to appoint a replacement to finish out his term, which ends in 2028.
Even though Republicans already have a supermajority in the officially nonpartisan legislature, some Democrats worry losing a seat in a reliable district could have consequences at the statehouse, including changing how the state votes for president to eliminate the blue dot.
Cavanaugh and his supporters have said they are confident in the ability of Democratic legislative candidates to flip at least one seat to offset the potential loss.
Nebraska is one of two states, the other being Maine, that does not use a winner-take-all approach to awarding electoral votes. Two electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote, and one vote is awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each of the state's three congressional districts.
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That helped Democratic presidential candidates, like Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, who picked up one electoral vote here even as many voters in the second Congressional district split their ballot, choosing Bacon for reelection the same year.
"I think I've been able to show that I'm not a Republican first," Bacon told ABC's KETV when he announced his retirement last year. "I'm a Christian American, somewhere over here I'm Republican, but I've been willing to take tough votes."
During that interview, Bacon also highlighted his 2021 vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Harding has received President Trump's "total endorsement" in this race. Even if Harding solidifies his Republicans behind him, he would need to pick up some voters who identify as independents or even Democrats.
Democrats, meanwhile, think Bacon's retirement gives them one of the best chances this year to flip a district.
Last year, Mayor John Ewing Jr., a Democrat and the city's first Black mayor, defeated three-term incumbent Republican Jean Stothert last year in the officially nonpartisan race by nearly 14 points.
Ewing has been a familiar name in Omaha for years; he was a Deputy Chief with the Omaha Police Department and served as Douglas County Treasurer.
Ewing said he sees himself as a public servant, not a politician and that voters in Omaha are not so polarized.
"I believe that the vast majority of voters are somewhere in the middle," Ewing said in a recent interview.
Ewing has advice for those seeking office.
"If you appeal to them, and you give them that message, and you show them that you can do it based on what you've done in the past, and your willingness to partner across party lines and all of the other artificial things that divide us, you can win," Ewing said.
Nebraska Public Media's Molly Ashford contributed to this report
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