Denise Powell, a political organizer, has won the Democratic primary for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, according to projections from multiple sources including NPR, CBS News, and HuffPost. With approximately 89% of votes counted, Powell defeated State Sen. John Cavanaugh by about 2 percentage points.
Key Takeaways
Denise Powell has won the Democratic primary for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, defeating State Sen. John Cavanaugh by about 2 percentage points. She will face Republican Brinker Harding in the general election.
- Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska's 2nd district
- Powell defeats Cavanaugh by approximately 2 percentage points with most votes counted
- Powell will challenge Republican nominee Brinker Harding in November
- The race is crucial for control of the narrowly divided U.S. House
The race was too close to call on election night, but the Associated Press called it for Powell Wednesday evening. She will now face Republican nominee Brinker Harding in the general election. The district is closely watched as it could help decide control of the narrowly divided U.S. House.
Known as the 'blue dot,' Nebraska's 2nd district includes Omaha and has voted Democratic in three of the last five presidential elections, including for Kamala Harris in 2024 and Joe Biden in 2020. The seat is currently held by Republican Don Bacon, who is retiring.
Powell's victory avoids a scenario that some Nebraska Democrats had feared: if Cavanaugh had won, the state's Republican governor would have been able to appoint a replacement to finish his term. This could have helped Republicans change how the state awards its electoral votes for president. Nebraska is one of two states that does not use a winner-take-all approach, instead awarding an Electoral College vote to the winning presidential candidate in each individual congressional district.
According to CBS News, Powell warned that if Cavanaugh had won and gone on to flip the House seat in November, Republicans could be emboldened to try again to change the electoral system. Cavanaugh's campaign website pushed back on these attacks, stating that he would not resign until January, allowing newly elected Democrats to offset his vote.
HuffPost reports that Powell's victory was aided by a GOP-linked group called Lead Left PAC, which aired ads tying Cavanaugh to President Donald Trump. The race is one of four U.S. House races where Republican-linked PACs are spending heavily to boost particular Democratic candidates.
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