- The retirement of popular Congressman Don Bacon means several Republicans and Democrats are lining up for the NE-02 primary contest.
- While Nebraska’s electorate tends to be solidly Republican, the 2nd district is much more closely divided between the Republican and Democratic parties.
- U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts, a former Nebraska governor, is up for reelection in 2026. Appointed in 2023 to replace Ben Sasse, Ricketts won the 2024 election by a 35-percent margin. Independent candidate, Dan Osborne, is challenging Senator Ricketts.
- An August poll shows Democrats have a slight lead in the head-to-head matchup for the generic congressional ballot. Voters said they would pick a random Democrat over a random Republican.
Take Action Nebraska
NE-02 (Open)
Nebraska is a decidedly Republican state with three U.S. Congressmen and two U.S. Senators, all Republicans. Of note is that Nebraska awards three of its five electoral votes based on the results in each of its congressional districts. While that is not an issue in the 2026 midterms, it could be a major focus in the 2028 Presidential election.
Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional district, encompassing the metropolitan area of Omaha and Council Bluffs, is nicknamed the Blue Dot. In the 2024 election, the district was one of three congressional districts that voted for Kamala Harris despite electing a Republican congressman. A Democrat defeating a Republican for mayor of Omaha in May has led Democrats to think the Blue Dot could be a boon, now that Republican Congressman Don Bacon is retiring.
