The war for the first battleground electoral vote may have been decided this week before a single ballot was cast. The weapons of choice: private polls. The likely winner: Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a wild election season that has featured Democrats substituting Harris for President Joe Biden at the top of their ticket — and Republican Donald Trump surviving two assassination attempts while trying to become the first former president in modern history to avenge a loss — the story of Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District is one of the most compelling subplots.
Party operatives and political analysts are fascinated with the district because it is highly competitive turf in one of just two states — Maine is the other — that award an elector to the candidate who wins the most votes in each congressional district. With recent presidential elections turning on tens of thousands of votes spread across a few states, there are scenarios in which Nebraska’s 2nd District could determine who wins the Electoral College and the presidency.
That’s why Trump made a full-court press to get Nebraska to change its law to give all of the electors to the statewide winner — he took 58.5% statewide in 2020. But his effort came up short this week when GOP state Sen. Mike McDonnell — a former Democrat — said he would not back the plan.
As intense as the GOP lobbying effort was — Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally, traveled to the state to make the pitch for changing the law — Democrats’ counteroffensive proved more effective.
