Overview
- Denise Powell, projected the winner Wednesday by major outlets, edged state Sen. John Cavanaugh in Nebraska’s 2nd District and will face Republican Brinker Harding in November.
- The Omaha-based seat is pivotal because Nebraska awards one presidential electoral vote by congressional district, and critics warned a Cavanaugh move to Congress could have enabled a GOP appointment to his state senate seat that might threaten the district’s separate electoral vote.
- Powell’s victory keeps Cavanaugh in the Legislature through 2029, which removes the immediate risk of a gubernatorial replacement that Democrats argued could shift state power on election rules and policy.
- The primary drew more than $5 million in TV ads as national groups took sides, with EMILY’s List and Hispanic and Black caucus PACs backing Powell and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC and unions backing Cavanaugh.
- In the Senate race, Democrat Cindy Burbank won her primary and reiterated she will withdraw to consolidate support for independent Dan Osborn against Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, a tactic several outlets praised as shrewd while some conservative coverage cast it as a scheme.