Denise Powell Wins Nebraska 2nd District Democratic Primary

Denise Powell, a political organizer, won the competitive Democratic primary in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, CBS News projected. The victory came amid concerns that state Sen. John Cavanaugh, another leading contender, risked harming Democrats in presidential politics if he prevailed.

Powell will face Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member, in the general election. Harding faced no primary challenger to replace retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon, who served a decade in Congress.

The Omaha-area district has stayed in Republican hands for all but two years over the last three decades. Still, it went for Democrats in three of the past five presidential elections.

Nebraska, a reliably Republican state, splits its Electoral College votes by congressional district rather than winner-take-all. That setup lets Democrats contest at least one electoral vote. The NE-02 vote could matter more in a tight White House race.

In 2024, President Trump and his allies failed to convince Nebraska Republicans to switch to winner-take-all. Kamala Harris carried the district, known as the "blue dot," that year. Barack Obama won it in 2008, Mitt Romney took it in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.

The state's electoral system played a central role in the Democratic primary.

Powell cautioned that a Cavanaugh victory and subsequent House flip in November might encourage Republicans to push again for winner-take-all or redraw maps. Cavanaugh would need to resign his state Senate seat.

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen would then appoint a replacement, bolstering party opposition to the split-vote system. A 2024 bid failed after one Republican state senator broke ranks.

Powell accused Cavanaugh of endangering the "blue dot" for personal gain.

"We cannot afford a candidate whose campaign hands Republicans the votes to gerrymander us into oblivion," Powell said in a Friday statement. "Sending John Cavanaugh out of the Unicameral and into a congressional seat he can't protect is exactly how we lose NE-02 — not just in November, but for the foreseeable future."

Cavanaugh's campaign website addressed claims that his run threatens the district's "blue dot" status.

"John would not resign until January, meaning by the time he resigns, new senators will be elected," the site says. "Half the Legislature is up for election this year, and elected Democrats in Nebraska are confident that they will pick up more than enough seats in November to offset John's vote."