By Nolan D. McCaskill
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - Voters in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District head to the polls on Tuesday to select their nominees to replace outgoing Republican Representative Don Bacon.
The open Omaha-area seat is one of Democrats' best pickup opportunities outside of newly drawn districts this cycle.
Nebraska and West Virginia host primary elections on Tuesday, but the Democratic primary in the 2nd district will be the marquee race of the night.
Denise Powell, who cofounded
the political action committee Women Who Run Nebraska, and state Senator John Cavanaugh are the top candidates in the crowded Democratic primary.
Powell has framed her moderate campaign as one that can protect Nebraska's "blue dot." President Donald Trump won the statewide popular vote in 2024 by more than 20 percentage points and two of its three congressional districts by double digits.
Cavanaugh, the progressive candidate, has derided Powell as "Dark Money Denise." If he were to win, Nebraska's Republican governor would appoint his replacement in the state legislative chamber and boost the Republican majority, which some Democrats warn could allow the party to pass a stricter abortion ban.
Cavanaugh's allies have called that narrative "MAGA Republican" lies, saying Democrats are poised to pick up seats in state legislative races.
Brinker Harding, an Omaha city councilman, is running uncontested for the Republican nomination. He has raised $1.3 million, according to campaign finance disclosures, and reported having more cash on hand than both Powell and Cavanaugh combined.
Democrat Kamala Harris won the district at the presidential level in 2024 by less than 5 percentage points. The district is one of three districts won by Harris and currently represented by a Republican. Bacon's seat is the only Harris-won district with no incumbent, making it a top target for Democrats.
NARROW HOUSE MAJORITY AT STAKE
Republicans hold a narrow 217-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, where the chamber's lone independent caucuses with Republicans. There are five vacancies due to deaths and resignations.
Democrats would need to net three seats in November's midterm elections to win control of the House for the final two years of Trump's presidency. The president's party traditionally loses seats in the midterms, but Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw their congressional maps to preserve a majority in Congress.
Trump's nudge launched a national redistricting war between the parties, which scrambled to create advantages for their respective parties in states such as Texas, California, Florida, Louisiana and Tennessee.
Republican-led states across the South have also redrawn their maps following the Supreme Court's recent decision gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling threatens once-protected majority-minority districts across the South.
SENATE RACE DRAWS UNUSUAL FIELD
Republican Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska is expected to win the primary for his party's nomination on Tuesday. Dan Osborn, his top opponent in November, is running as an independent. Osborn lost to Republican Senator Deb Fischer in 2024 by less than 7 percentage points, significantly overperforming Harris statewide.
There will also be a Democratic primary, even though the state party has said it chose not to field a candidate because Osborn has the best chance to unseat Ricketts.
William Forbes, an anti-abortion Trump voter, launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in March. Democrats have accused Forbes of "running to trick voters."
Cindy Burbank also launched her campaign in March. Her website calls Forbes a "fake" Democrat who would simply split Democrats' votes to help Ricketts win reelection. While asking voters to back her in the primary, Burbank also says Osborn "deserves a fair shot against Ricketts," suggesting she would end her campaign if she won the Democratic nomination so Osborn could have a head-to-head race against Ricketts.
(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill, editing by Deepa Babington)
