(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
The open seat in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, currently held by Don Bacon, is widely believed to be the most “flippable seat” in Congress for the Democrats. Millions have been spent on the race already, which the Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and Decision Desk all currently rate “likely Democratic.”
Leading up to Election Day, both Republican Brinker Harding and Democrat Denise Powell have brought in a number of “power hitters” to stump with them. These have included national figures like House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as potential 2028 candidate Pete Buttigieg.
On Wednesday, Harding brought Don Bacon to help make a closing argument for his campaign. That afternoon, Powell brought Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to do the same for her. Jeffries is likely to become Speaker of the House if Democrats retake control of Congress.
Dark Money and Democrat Division
Throughout the campaign, Powell has been criticized for the outsized amount of out-of-state money propping up her campaign. At Wednesday’s event, both Harding and Bacon noted that 83% of Harding’s donations came from Nebraskans, compared with only 31% of Powell’s.
The use of so-called “dark money” has also been an issue in the campaign. During the primary, challenger John Cavanaugh labeled Powell “Dark Money Denise,” a moniker that has since been adopted by the Harding campaign. Even with the primary long over, several of Powell’s primary challengers have yet to endorse her, including Cavanaugh.
Bacon noted a recent article in Newsweek that described dark money supporting Powell during the primary and how it may have caused a rift within the party.
“I think it’s almost unheard of to have the number two, number three, and number four persons in a primary refuse to endorse the nominee,” Bacon said. “But I think it does get back to that Newsweek article. When you have a Newsweek article saying, ‘Anonymous donors fought this primary,’ that should trouble all of us.”
“I think that says a lot about who’s investing in this race,” Harding added. “Do we want someone who’s born here, raised here, fourth generation? Or do we want someone from Miami, L.A., or New York, with their coastal billionaires supporting this race with their dark money?”
Powell herself has done consultant work for large “dark money” groups, such as the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund, specifically on ballot initiatives in Nebraska. At her North Omaha event, however, she cited this work as proof of her ability to be bipartisan.
“The reason that we were able to pass paid sick leave, and overturn the school voucher bill, the reason we were able to expand Medicaid, and minimum wage, and get medical cannabis passed, is because Democrats and Republicans came together and did that,” Powell said.
Bacon was skeptical about whether this job history lent credibility.
“She’s worked pretty much in the PACs and fundraising stuff, but not really serving this community in the way that Brinker has,” Bacon said. “He has earned the right to win this election with his message, and he’s earned it with his 40 years of service to this city.”
Democrats Focus on Affordability
Democrats, in the meantime, have focused on affordability as a top issue as they seek to retake control of Congress.
“We’re just three seats short of being able to take back control of the House of Representatives, so we can turn things around and fight to address the affordability crisis,” Jeffries said on Wednesday. “The status quo is unacceptable. More of the same is completely and totally unacceptable. And we’re gonna bring dramatic change on the other side of this election.”
Jeffries described the current administration as one of “unprecedented corruption” and pledged to reverse many of the Trump administration’s policies.
“Reverse the Medicaid cuts that are devastating people here in Nebraska,” Jeffries said. “Reverse the SNAP cuts, and make sure that we’re providing nutritional assistance to our children, to older Americans, to our veterans, for whom it’s been ripped away.”
Harding, on the other hand, saw the issue of affordability as a temporary problem, particularly when it comes to gas prices.
“You think that gas prices are high today, and remember, they were a lot higher under the Biden administration,” Harding said. “This is temporary, and when those gas prices come down, and Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, I think the world’s a much safer place.”
Bacon noted that once the Strait of Hormuz reopens, supply and demand would bring prices down. He also stated that the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, signed into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025, helped with affordability.
“If Ms. Powell had her way, we would not have had that tax cut, and everybody’s taxes would’ve gone up $2,500,” Bacon said. “That’s the average tax cut savings for Nebraskans—$2,500.”
Rubber Stamps and Bipartisanship
While sharing the debate stage with Harding, Powell stated that he would be “a rubber stamp and continue to push all the policy initiatives that are hurting the people of this state.”
Jeffries echoed these sentiments on Wednesday, describing the current Republican majority as “a do-nothing Congress that’s acting like nothing more than a reckless rubber stamp for the extreme agenda coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Bacon also took issue with allegations that Harding would be a “rubber stamp” for Trump, citing his opposition to Trump’s proposed $5,000 dividend as “not a wise idea—it’s inflationary.”
“He is not a rubber stamp. He’s going to do what he thinks is best for this district. And I think he’s taken key positions during this campaign and made it clear,” Bacon said. “Contrast that with Ms. Powell. I don’t think she’s demonstrated at all that she would not be a rubber stamp for Hakeem Jeffries.”
The Plains Sentinel posed that question to both Powell and Jeffries.
“One of the things that I really respect about Leader Jeffries is that he may represent Brooklyn, but he knows that Nebraska is not Brooklyn,” Powell said. “He understands that we are being elected to represent the people of our district and our state. And I’ve said this before, I will go toe-to-toe with anybody who’s trying to push anything that is gonna hurt Nebraskans.”
Jeffries added, “There are gonna be times where she’s going to disagree with members of her own party, and she’s demonstrated the ability and willingness to do it, by always putting the people of Nebraska first.”
When The Plains Sentinel asked Jeffries what legislation a Democratic Congress could pass that would survive President Trump’s veto pen, he cited Rep. Mike Flood’s bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act as an example.
“That’s an example of something bipartisan that we led on in this Congress that thankfully is now law,” Jeffries said. “And we know that housing has become increasingly unaffordable here in Nebraska for far too many families and young people and veterans.”
Closing Arguments
As Jeffries made his closing argument for Powell, he emphasized that change was necessary in Congress because the current majority had “hurt” Americans.
“We believe that people all across the country have been hurt by the policies of this administration, and by an extreme Republican-controlled Congress,” Jeffries said. “Whether you are someone from an urban community, like here in Omaha, or a rural part of the state, or farm country, America has to do better for everyone.”
Jeffries outlined what he described as the “American Dream,” and how flipping the seat in Nebraska’s 2nd District would help bring it about.
“Good housing, good healthcare, good education for your children or for your grandchildren, and when it’s all said and done, a good retirement. That’s the American dream,” Jeffries said. “And Denise is going to help us do just that.”
Bacon, however, emphasized the need for both parties to work together.
Jared Golden (ME-02), who Bacon has cited as his counterpart in the Democratic Party, announced last year that he would not be running for re-election, citing frustrations with partisan gridlock and incivility. In an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News, Golden wrote, “I don’t fear losing … What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning.”
“Jared has been a great friend,” Bacon said. “You’ll find the friendships you make on the other side of the aisle make a huge difference, because that’s how you get things done.”
— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.