Denise Powell Flips Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District Seat
Democrat Denise Powell has flipped Nebraska’s competitive 2nd Congressional District, defeating Republican Brinker Harding, CBS News projected.
Powell, a political organizer, took the Omaha-area seat currently held by retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon. Her opponent, Harding, serves as a member of the Omaha City Council. Bacon announced last year that he would not run for a sixth term, creating a prime opportunity for Democrats in a district that has spent most of the last three decades in GOP hands.
That local contest played out against a much larger national backdrop. NBC News projected that Democrats won control of the House of Representatives with a projected 255 seats, easily clearing the 218 threshold needed for a majority and sweeping through districts across the country.
The stakes in Nebraska extend far beyond a single congressional race. The deep red state allocates its Electoral College votes by congressional district rather than winner-take-all, putting the Omaha-based 2nd District into heavy presidential focus. That single electoral vote can carry immense weight in a tightly contested White House race.
Bacon narrowly won reelection in 2024.
The wider midterm wave saw similar upsets nationwide. NBC News reported that Democrats captured competitive seats from coast to coast, fueled by voter backlash against President Donald Trump’s executive actions, the eight-month Iran war, immigration crackdown, and tariffs that drove up household costs.
When the new Congress takes office on January 3, the balance of power in Washington will shift dramatically. It marks the first time in Trump’s second term that he will face a Congress not entirely under Republican control, handing House Democrats vital committee gavels, subpoena power, and the authority to launch oversight investigations into the administration.
Nebraska is sending a Democrat to Congress for the first time in a decade. Denise Powell defeated Republican Brinker Harding in the 2nd District. https://t.co/G6dWRl9PL1
