Omaha, Nebraska: Denise Powell Defeats Brinker Harding to Flip the 2nd District

Denise Powell, a Democrat, defeated Republican Brinker Harding on Tuesday night in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, flipping the Omaha based seat that retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon had held for eight years. Decision Desk HQ called the race for Powell at 9:51 p.m. Eastern time, and Harding conceded on stage at 9 p.m. local time, telling supporters he wanted them to hear that the race was over sooner rather than later.

"I'm sorry I couldn't lead the team to a better result," Harding said. "But we have other races to win."

With 71 percent of the vote counted at the time of the call, Powell had 97,194 votes, or 58.97 percent, to 64,076 votes, or 38.88 percent, for Harding, according to Decision Desk HQ. Libertarian Eric Foreman had 3,541 votes, or 2.15 percent. Later Associated Press counts, with 173 of 277 precincts reporting, put Powell at 101,276 votes and Harding at 67,589.

A blue dot turns blue again

The 2nd District covers all of Douglas and Saunders counties and part of Sarpy County, and Omaha voters know it as the blue dot. The district voted for Joe Biden by 6 points in 2020 and for Kamala Harris by 5 points in 2024, even while Bacon kept winning it for Republicans. Powell's win makes her the first Democrat to hold the seat since Brad Ashford, who lost it in 2016.

"We made history tonight," Powell told supporters. She said the district had become a key player in the fight to put hard working Americans first and lower costs.

Powell, a nonprofit organizer and political consultant, won the May Democratic primary over State Sen. John Cavanaugh in a crowded field. Harding, the vice chair of the Omaha City Council, ran unopposed for the Republican nomination after Brett Lindstrom withdrew to run a third party campaign for governor. Harding had support from Bacon and from House Majority Leader Mike Johnson, who campaigned for him early in the general election.

Money and momentum

The race drew national attention and national visitors. Rahm Emanuel, Pete Buttigieg and Hillary Clinton all campaigned in the district for Powell, according to the Plains Sentinel. In October, the Congressional Leadership Fund, the main House Republican super PAC, withdrew 1 million dollars in television ads backing Harding after a Republican commissioned poll showed Powell ahead by 12 points. Powell raised more than 5 million dollars to about 2.7 million dollars for Harding, the Plains Sentinel reported.

The Omaha result landed on a night when Democrats were projected to win back control of the U.S. House, according to USA Today. For Omaha readers, the local change is direct: after eight years of a Republican congressman who often broke with his party, the city will send a Democrat to Washington in January, and Harding said Tuesday night that he is already looking at another run for office in the future.

Results are unofficial until Nebraska counties canvass them.