Denise Powell wins Democratic primary for top battleground district in Nebraska

Political organizer Denise Powell has won the Democratic nomination in Nebraska’s 2nd District, NBC News projects, emerging from a tough primary fight in one of her party’s top opportunities to flip a swing seat this year.

Powell narrowly defeated state Sen. John Cavanaugh in a race that featured five other Democratic candidates on the ballot. Powell had 39% to Cavanaugh’s 37% in the primary with about 90% of the expected vote tallied.

She will advance to a general election matchup against Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding, who ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Several major outside groups intervened in the primary. Powell, who was seen as the more moderate candidate, was backed by EMILY’s List, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC and Elect Democratic Women. Cavanaugh, a progressive, was endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, the Nebraska AFL-CIO and almost a dozen other local unions.

Nebraska Democratic State Senator John Cavanaugh — State Sen. John Cavanaugh fell short in the Democratic primary.Alex Wroblewski / AFP via Getty Images file

Nebraska’s 2nd District has been a top target for Democrats for several election cycles, but GOP Rep. Don Bacon’s decision to retire at the end of his term has renewed enthusiasm among Democrats hoping to win his seat.

Bacon has served five terms in the Omaha-based district, winning his elections by 1 to 5 percentage points each time, including as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris carried it in the 2020 and 2024 presidential contests. It’s one of just three House districts a Republican won in 2024 that Harris also carried.

In an interview Friday ahead of the primary, Powell dismissed concerns that a bruising ad campaign against her — including Cavanaugh and his allies’ labeling her “dark money Denise” — would hurt her chances in a general election.

“I am pretty confident that whatever happens on Tuesday night, for the most part I think that Nebraska Democrats see that this is such a tremendous opportunity,” she said.

Democratic candidates and their allies spent over $5 million on TV ads ahead of the primary, per AdImpact.

Powell added that local party leaders had been asking those running in the Democratic primary to coalesce behind the eventual nominee, regardless of who won.

“I think at the end of the day, we all want to flip this seat,” she said.

Democrats need to net at least three seats to flip the House majority in November. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates the 2nd District race “Lean Democrat.”

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