House Majority Leader Steve Scalise Campaigns with Brinker Harding in Fight to Hold Nebraska’s Second District
by Matt Johnson
(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
In a district Kamala Harris won by 4.6 percentage points in 2024, Nebraska’s “Blue Dot” is one of the Democrats’ prime seats for flipping in the midterm elections. It’s also the first among several races House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is visiting during the House summer recess as Republicans fight to hold onto their slim majority amid a potential “blue wave.”
He appeared at Brinker Harding’s campaign office on Davenport Street Tuesday afternoon, speaking to a crowd that packed the room.
“Don Bacon, every two years, has had these tough races, and Brinker knows what’s ahead, but I think y’all understand what is at stake in this election,” Scalise said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a contrast in two different parties, in two different views of the country, than we have in this election.”
Scalise, without mentioning the name of Harding’s opponent, framed her as having a “crazy socialist agenda,” citing her campaign donation to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“His opponent’s not going to tell you a lot of what she stands for, but you can go look at who she supports,” Scalise said. “Because I can tell you how they vote in Washington. Go look at AOC’s voting record.”
Scalise touted recently passed measures like no taxes on tips or overtime that were included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” He also highlighted border security as a key measure at stake in the House that Harding’s opponent would have voted against.
“These other countries aren’t sending us the best and brightest—they’re sending us, in some cases, their most violent criminals,” Scalise said. “We’ve brought bills on the floor over and over again to say if somebody comes here illegally, that alone is illegal. But if they come here illegally and then they commit a violent crime against an American, they should be sent home. And his opponent’s against that bill.”
Social Media Posts Resurface
Harding’s opponent, Denise Powell, was recently in the headlines after old social media posts opposing the “Let Them Grow Act” resurfaced. The bill, introduced by Nebraska state Sen. Kathleen Kauth (LD-31), restricted access to gender-transition surgeries and treatments for minor children. In her posts, Powell wrote that “Nebraska has the opportunity to set an example; to show trans kids and families around the country that we won’t stand for this discriminatory and hateful behavior,” and that “we will never ever stop fighting for their right to exist and thrive.”
Powell has been quiet on the issue since her campaign launched. In her latest TV spot, Powell says she “brought Democrats and Republicans together,” and one person in the ad tells her, “I love that you work with both parties.”
The Plains Sentinel asked Harding about this change in rhetoric.
“As Leader [Scalise] said, there are so many things that she [Powell] doesn’t want to talk about anymore, and that’s certainly one of them. I mean, to think that you can be for gender-affirming surgeries for kids—that’s not who this district is. That, frankly, that’s not who America is.”
Political Violence and the Fight for the Blue Dot
In 2017, Scalise was shot and badly injured during a congressional baseball game practice. Several other high-profile shootings have happened since then, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the murder of a healthcare CEO, and, most prominently, the attempted assassination of President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Plains Sentinel asked Scalise his thoughts on these incidents and whether political violence is on the rise.
“No matter where it comes from, political violence should never be acceptable, and everybody should speak out against it,” Scalise said. “And unfortunately, you don’t see people speaking out equally against it when it’s coming from their side. The bottom line is, this is a country where we settle our differences at the ballot box.”
Scalise is one of several high-profile figures to visit Nebraska’s Second District in recent days, including Speaker Mike Johnson, Pete Buttigieg, and Rahm Emanuel. The “Blue Dot” will undoubtedly continue to receive national attention in the remaining days before Election Day as both sides fight for what’s described as the most flippable seat in the House.
— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.