Democrats battle for open Omaha House seat as Republicans aim to hold majority

WASHINGTON - A competitive primary between two Democrats vying to flip a Republican-held seat in Nebraska that is being vacated by U.S. Representative Don Bacon remained too close to call on Tuesday.

The Omaha House seat is one of Democrats' best flip opportunities this election cycle, outside of newly drawn districts, as they battle to win control of the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections.

With about 85% of votes tallied, state Senator John Cavanaugh held a lead of 264 over Denise Powell, who cofounded the political action committee Women Who Run Nebraska, according to the Associated Press.

The winner will face Brinker Harding, an Omaha city councilman who ran uncontested for the Republican nomination, in the state's 2nd congressional district.

Harding has raised $1.3 million, campaign finance disclosures show, and reported having more cash on hand than both Democratic contenders combined.

While West Virginia also hosted primary elections on Tuesday, the night's marquee race was the Democratic primary in Nebraska's second district.

Cavanaugh, the progressive candidate, has derided Powell as "Dark Money Denise."

A general election win for him would see Nebraska's Republican governor appoint his replacement in the state legislative chamber and boost the Republican majority.

Some Democrats warn such an outcome could allow the party to pass a tougher ban on abortion, redraw its congressional districts and change its presidential primary to a winner-take-all system.

Cavanaugh's allies have called that narrative "MAGA Republican" lies, referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement, and said Democrats are poised to pick up seats in state legislative races.

Powell framed her moderate campaign as one that can protect Nebraska's "blue dot," a reference to Democrats' foothold in the Omaha area.

President Donald Trump won the statewide popular vote in 2024 by more than 20 percentage points and two of its three congressional districts by double digits.

Democrat Kamala Harris won the district at the presidential level in 2024 by less than 5 percentage points.

It is one of three nationwide won by Harris that are currently represented by a Republican. Bacon's seat is the only Harris-won district with no incumbent, making it a top target for Democrats.

Last June, the five-term lawmaker said he would retire, telling the Wall Street Journal he simply did not have much left in the tank after the last election cycle. Bacon, 62, also said he wanted to spend more time with his family and community.

NARROW HOUSE MAJORITY AT STAKE

Republicans hold a narrow 217-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, where the chamber's lone independent caucuses with Republicans. There are five vacancies due to deaths and resignations.

Democrats would need to net three seats in November's midterm elections to win control of the House for the final two years of Trump's presidency.

The president's party traditionally loses seats in the midterms, but Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw their congressional maps to preserve a majority in Congress.

Trump's nudge launched a national redistricting war between the parties, which scrambled to carve advantages for their respective parties in states such as Texas, California, Florida, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Republican-led states across the South have also redrawn their maps after the Supreme Court's recent decision gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling threatens once-protected majority-minority districts across the South.

SENATE RACE DRAWS UNUSUAL FIELD

U.S. media projected Republican Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska to win the primary for his party's nomination on Tuesday. Dan Osborn, his top opponent in November, is running as an independent.

Osborn lost to Republican Senator Deb Fischer in 2024 by less than 7 percentage points, significantly outperforming Harris statewide.

There was also a Democratic primary, even though the state party said it chose not to field a candidate because Osborn has the best chance to unseat Ricketts.

Cindy Burbank was projected by U.S. media to defeat William Forbes, an anti-abortion Trump voter whom Democrats have accused of "running to trick voters."

Burbank's website calls Forbes a "fake" Democrat who would split Democrats' votes to help Ricketts win reelection. She is expected to drop out after winning the nomination so Osborn can run against Ricketts without a Democrat on the ballot.

(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill; Editing by Deepa Babington, Cynthia Osterman and Clarence Fernandez)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 10:25 PM.