Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ 2nd
District
[May 14, 2026]
By MARGERY A. BECK and STEVE PEOPLES
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Denise Powell won the Democratic primary in
Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District on Wednesday in a contest focused
on the state’s “blue dot” status in presidential elections.
The Omaha-area district, where Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is
retiring, is one of Democrats' biggest targets this midterm season. It’s
also a national focus every four years in presidential contests because
Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes. The
2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of
five times since 2008 — a “blue dot” in an otherwise sea of red.
Powell, a political activist, defeated state Sen. John Cavanaugh and
several other candidates in the Democratic primary. She and Cavanaugh
were in a tight race that could not be called Tuesday.
Powell will face Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member endorsed
by President Donald Trump. He ran unopposed in Tuesday’s GOP primary.
“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,” Powell said in a statement. “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.
[to top of second column]
|
Denise Powell, candidate for the Democratic nomination to the House
of Representatives in Nebraska's second district, right, hugs
Jennifer Reyna, chair of Latino Caucus for the Democratic Party of
Nebraska, during an election night watch party Wednesday, May 13,
2026, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
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.
___
Peoples reported from New York.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
