Powell and Harding make final pitches in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District

OMAHA — The leading candidates in Nebraska’s most politically divided and diverse congressional district are making their final pitches as Election Day approaches. 

Denise Powell is looking to be the first Democrat to represent the district in about a decade. Brinker Harding is trying to defend the House seat for Republicans as Rep. Don Bacon decided not to seek another term. 

At his west Omaha campaign office, Harding held a press conference Wednesday with Bacon to hammer home the message he’s repeated throughout the campaign, saying Powell is an outsider and too extreme for the district, and voters can’t let Powell’s “ideology represent Nebraska.”  

“Denise Powell is too radical for Nebraska. She’s bought and paid for” by the Democratic Socialists of America, Harding said. “She’s given to AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) twice. She’s on record that she would have voted for the largest tax increase since World War II. That’s not a benefit to this district.” 

He then repeated attacks on Powell alleging support for “sex education” for kindergartners and “transgender surgeries” for minors — during one of their debates, Powell said that wasn’t true. 

In North Omaha, Powell, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries by her side, focused less on her opponent. Jeffries looked ahead to Democrats’ plans to “address the affordability crisis” in his stump speech for Powell. 

“Our job today and every day from now until Nov. 3 and beyond that is to remind them that there’s still hope,” Powell said. “That there are people who are going to keep fighting for them. That we are never going to roll over and surrender.”

The two camps have been trying to paint each other as extreme throughout the campaign. In the last few weeks of the race, the two candidates have attacked each other over benefiting from PAC spending and making late tax payments. 

The slightly red-leaning 2nd District is a swing district that typically draws national attention. Notable Democrats and Republicans have campaigned there. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg campaigned for Powell; House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the district for Harding. 

Nebraska as a whole has seen former President Joe Biden, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this election cycle. 

While the spotlight on the Omaha area district remains, it has dimmed as the national political environment has worsened for Republicans across the country. The D.C. outlet Punchbowl News reported last month that “operatives in both parties” feel NE-02 is one of the races Republicans will struggle to win this cycle. 

Both super PACs for national Republicans and Democrats have pulled scheduled ad buys from the race — through Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters recently told News Channel Nebraska that “just because we reallocate dollars doesn’t mean it’s a lost seat; it just means that we’re focused on the seats where we know we have to win.”

The House Majority PAC, the main super PAC for House Democrats, is now spending $1 million to support Democrat Chris Backemeyer for Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District as the race is now viewed as more competitive than initially thought. 

Cook Political Report shifted the 2nd District race from “lean Democrat” to “likely Democrat” earlier this month. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, another notable election analyst group, also has the race as “likely Democratic.”

Harding and Bacon, in their Wednesday dual press conference, pushed back on the notion that this race is a foregone conclusion. Bacon said this race is tight and general congressional polls for this year’s midterms “are off to a bit.” He pointed to his performances outrunning the political environment during his five terms in office, something he said Harding can do. 

“I would say a Reagan-type Republican,” Bacon said of Harding. “He works with city councilmen that are Democrats. … He’s worked with Republican and Democrat business leaders to grow this city. He’s independent-minded. He’s going to do what’s right for this district.”

Harding also pointed to his experience on the Omaha City Council and his time working as former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub’s economic development director and chief of staff. Bacon said Powell would be a “rubber stamp” for Jeffries.  

In a short press gaggle after the stump speech, Powell said Jeffries “knows that Nebraska is not Brooklyn.” 

“I’ve said this before: I will go toe to toe with anybody who’s trying to push anything that is going to hurt Nebraskans,” Powell told the press. “I think that’s one of the reasons why Leader Jeffries is here to support me, because they’re not looking for rubber stamps; they’re looking for people who really care about, understand and are connected to their district and will show up for them in that way.” 

Jeffries added that Powell is committed to finding common ground, whether with Democrats, independents or Republicans, and that he believes she’ll disagree with Democratic House members at times.

“She’s demonstrated the ability and willingness to do it by always putting the people in Nebraska first; she’s exactly the type of leader that we want in Washington,” Jeffries said. “We don’t need more rubber stamps for anyone. We need people who are going to put hardworking American taxpayers first.” 

Early voting has already begun. The general election is Nov. 3.