Nebraska and West Virginia Primaries Heat Up: A Battle for Power
Polls opened Tuesday in Nebraska and West Virginia, igniting a fierce competition among Democrats eager to seize an open seat in Nebraska that has long been on their radar.
With Republican Rep. Don Bacon announcing his retirement effective January, the Omaha district is now a tantalizing target for Democrats, having swung their way in three of the last five presidential elections. The stakes are high as several Democratic contenders aim to challenge Republican nominee Brinker Harding, who cruised through the GOP primary unopposed.
Meanwhile, in Nebraska, GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts triumphed over a horde of primary challengers, while Cindy Burbank snagged the Democratic nomination. However, the state Democratic Party has thrown its weight behind Dan Osborn, who is gearing up to run as an independent in November.
Over in West Virginia, GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito successfully fended off five challengers, while Democrats rallied behind Rachel Anderson.
The Democratic contenders in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District are embroiled in a heated debate over whether one candidate's campaign could jeopardize the party's chances in this pivotal area.
Nebraska state Sen. John Cavanaugh and political organizer Denise Powell are leading a crowded field vying for Bacon's Omaha-area seat, which he has held for five terms. Despite Trump’s losses in the district during the last two presidential elections, Democrats see this as a golden opportunity to flip the seat.
Another layer of complexity arises from how Nebraska allocates its electoral college votes during presidential elections. The state currently awards most of its votes by congressional district, allowing Democratic candidates a shot at denying Republicans at least one vote from the 2nd Congressional District.
Powell warns that Cavanaugh's potential success could give Republicans the leverage to alter how Nebraska awards its electoral college votes to a winner-take-all system. If Cavanaugh vacates his state legislature seat, GOP Gov. Jim Pillen would have the power to appoint a replacement.
Ricketts, who was nominated in 2023 to complete former GOP Sen. Ben Sasse's term and won a special election the following year, is now gunning for his first full term. Backed by President Trump and the Nebraska Farm Bureau, Ricketts defeated four primary challengers on Tuesday and is already setting his sights on a showdown with Osborn in November.
Osborn, a former labor leader from Omaha running as an independent, has garnered the endorsement of the Nebraska Democratic Party for the general election. He previously challenged Republican incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024, losing by less than seven points in a state Trump won by over 20 points. Ricketts also appeared on that ballot, winning his race by more than 25 points against a Democratic challenger.
Nebraska hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2006 when Sen. Bill Nelson defeated Ricketts.
Two Democrats were on the ballot Tuesday, but Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen attempted to disqualify Burbank for not being a "good-faith" candidate due to her support for Osborn. The Nebraska Supreme Court later reinstated her candidacy after ruling Evnen's complaint was filed too late.
Burbank's campaign website accused fellow Democrat pastor William Forbes of attempting to siphon votes from Osborn. Her site boldly claimed Osborn deserves a "fair shot against Ricketts."
"William Forbes is a Ricketts plant," declared Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb on social media last week. "Don't let the MAGA Republicans mess with our primary. Vote for Cindy Burbank."
Both Ricketts and Forbes maintain that Forbes' candidacy is legitimate. Forbes, who identifies as anti-abortion and claims to be a lifelong Democrat, stated he voted for Trump multiple times.
Additionally, two candidates from the Legal Marijuana NOW party were on the ballot Tuesday. However, one candidate, Early Starkey, along with the former party chair, accused Mike Marvin of being a "Dan Osborn plant," which Marvin denied to local media. Reports also surfaced that Burbank covered Marvin's filing fee because "Mike's check was for ten dollars too much."
Osborn, not appearing on the primary ballot as an independent, has raised over $3.8 million this year and faces an August 3 deadline to gather enough signatures for November's ballot. Ricketts has outpaced him with over $4.8 million raised.
Pillen emerged victorious against five GOP primary challengers in the Nebraska gubernatorial race, while former state Sen. Lynne Walz clinched the Democratic primary.
In West Virginia, two-term incumbent Sen. Moore Capito defeated state Sen. Tom Willis and four other challengers on Tuesday, bolstered by Trump's endorsement. Five Democrats competed for their party's nomination, with Anderson projected to take the lead.
