In a primary election defined by the city’s “blue dot” reputation, political activist Denise Powell secured the Democratic nomination for Nebraska’s 2nd District by beating State Senator John Cavanaugh.
Powell’s victory sets up one of the most competitive House races of the midterm cycle. Her Republican opponent in the general election is Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding, who secured an endorsement from President Donald Trump for the seat being vacated by retiring Congressman Don Bacon.
Omaha has drawn national attention because Nebraska is one of only two states that divide its Electoral College votes by district rather than awarding them all to the statewide winner.
The Democratic primary turned on a strategic argument regarding the district’s future. Powell’s supporters warned that if Cavanaugh wins the seat in Congress, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen will appoint a successor, potentially handing Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature the votes they need to scrap the split-vote system.
Powell led Cavanaugh by roughly 2.1 percentage points, or about 1,080 votes, with approximately 89% of the ballots counted. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday after determining that outstanding mail-in and provisional ballots would not allow Cavanaugh to close the gap.
External groups poured over $6 million into the primary’s advertising, a testament to the seat’s national importance. While Cavanaugh campaigned on his legislative record, outside progressive groups used the threat of losing the blue dot to sway voters toward Powell.
“This country and Nebraska are worth fighting for,” Powell said in a statement following her win. Harding, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, enters the general election with Trump’s backing in a district the president has lost in two consecutive elections.
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