Nebraska Holds Primary for Open U.S. House Seat in 2nd Congressional District

Nebraska voters began casting ballots Tuesday in primary elections that will determine the Democratic nominee for an open U.S. House seat in the state's 2nd Congressional District. Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member endorsed by President Donald Trump, faces no primary challenger and will be the GOP nominee in November.

Three Democrats are competing for the nomination in the Omaha-area district, which became open after the retirement of its longtime Republican representative.

Nebraska and Maine are the only two states that do not award all their electoral votes to the statewide winner. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates in three of the last five elections since 2008. Republicans attempted in 2024 to change the system to winner-take-all but fell short of the votes needed, according to multiple reports drawn from the same source material.

The contest has centered in part on the potential impact of a Democratic nominee's win on the state Legislature. Opponents of one leading Democratic contender have argued that a victory by that candidate would create a vacancy in the state Legislature.

They have said state officials could then appoint a Republican replacement, potentially giving the GOP enough votes to eliminate the electoral vote split. One super PAC ran television ads stating that if the candidate wins the congressional primary, it could allow changes to the electoral system.

EMILY’s List has backed another contender in the race. Republican groups have also targeted the same Democratic candidate with mailers and social media messages.

The candidate responded, according to The Washington Times, “Clearly, the Republicans know that I’m the strongest general election candidate. ” A former state Democratic Party executive director described the attacks on the candidate as disingenuous.