Political newcomer Denise Powell is the projected winner of the Democratic primary in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press, beating out a state senator with deep roots in the district.
The red state’s lone swing seat is a key pickup opportunity for the party if it wants to retake the House. The primary race was a packed and tense contest that drew a barrage of outside spending — largely in support of Powell over state Sen. John Cavanaugh. It’s the most spending the district has ever seen in a Democratic primary.
Powell has never run for office, but she’s worked to get Democrats elected in her state through Women Who Run Nebraska — a political action committee she co-founded in the wake of Donald Trump’s first presidential victory. Much of the race focused on how its outcome could affect the 2028 presidential election because Nebraska splits its Electoral College votes by congressional district. If Cavanaugh won the primary, Nebraska’s Republican governor would have chosen his successor in the state Senate, which would move Republicans one step closer to changing the law allowing Nebraska to split its electoral votes in presidential elections.