Denise Powell has emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, a key electoral battleground often referred to as a “blue dot” due to its unique voting pattern amid an overwhelmingly Republican landscape. Her victory marks a significant step in the race to fill the seat left vacant by retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon.
This Omaha-area district is a prime target for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections, drawing national attention during presidential races. This is because Nebraska is one of the rare states that divides its electoral votes, and the 2nd District has favored Democratic presidential candidates in three out of the last five elections since 2008.
Powell, known for her political activism, triumphed over a competitive field that included state Sen. John Cavanaugh. The race between Powell and Cavanaugh was particularly close, delaying the final call until Wednesday.
Looking ahead to the general election, Powell will face Brinker Harding, a member of the Omaha City Council who received President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Harding, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, now stands as Powell’s main rival for the congressional seat.
In her victory statement, Powell expressed her commitment to advocating for Nebraskans. “This country and Nebraska are worth fighting for — and I’m ready to spend the next six months working for every vote and sharing my vision for Nebraska so we can finally have a representative in Congress who will serve us,” she declared. “It’s time to be brave.”
Powell led Cavanaugh by 2.1 percentage points, or 1,080 votes, out of more than 51,000 votes counted.
AP called the race after Douglas County election officials said there were only 5,125 outstanding mail-in ballots in the Democratic primary, and a total of 830 provisional ballots from all political parties. Even if all those ballots are counted in the Democratic primary, Cavanaugh would have to win them by about 18 percentage points over Powell to close the gap, a margin he didn’t come close to achieving in any of the five vote updates provided by Douglas County so far. Cavanaugh trailed in all three counties in the district, though Douglas accounted for about 93% of the votes.
The matchup between Powell and Harding is expected to be among this fall’s most competitive House races, as Democrats try to win control of the chamber for the second half of Trump’s term.
The 2nd District is one of just three districts in the country that supported Democrat Kamala Harris for president in 2024 while also electing a Republican representative. Trump won the district in 2016, and the retiring Bacon, who has clashed with Trump, has held the House seat for five terms.
The Nebraska GOP said in a statement Wednesday that Republicans are ready to fight back against a “radical left” that has poured money into the state.
“The left wants Nebraska, and we are going to make sure they don’t get it,” said NEGOP Chairman Mary Jane Truemper.
Powell, who is Latina, co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a political action committee that supports progressive female candidates, and she has a decade of Democratic political activism. She had the backing of EMILY’s List and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ campaign operation.
Powell has never held office but said her deep connections have helped her with independents and third-party voters, who make up nearly 30% of the district’s electorate.
Some Democratic critics argued that a Cavanaugh primary victory would have jeopardized the district’s “blue dot” status because he’d be leaving his valuable state legislative seat, making it easier for Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature to change the law that allows the state to split its electoral votes.
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Peoples reported from New York.