Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District is one of the most competitive House seats in the country. Rep. Don Bacon's retirement opens a genuinely toss-up race — Harris carried the district by ~5 points in 2024. Six Democrats are competing for the nomination while Republicans have cleared the field for Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding. PoliVion evaluates every candidate on transparency, donor independence, and governance fit.
NE-02 covers the Omaha metropolitan area — all of Douglas County, Saunders County, and parts of western Sarpy County. Don Bacon represented the district for five terms, retiring in June 2025. The district awarded its single Electoral Vote to Democratic presidential candidates in 2008, 2020, and 2024 — the so-called "blue dot" in an otherwise deep-red state. Harris won it by approximately 5 points in 2024. Cook Political Report rates the general election a toss-up. Republicans have won 15 of the past 16 congressional elections here, but the district's demographics and presidential lean make it genuinely competitive.
Six Democrats are competing: John Cavanaugh (State Senator, son of former Rep. Cavanaugh), Denise Powell (PAC co-founder, EMILY's List endorsee), Crystal Rhoades (Douglas County Court Clerk, former statewide Public Service Commissioner), Kishla Askins (Navy veteran, former Deputy Asst. Sec. of VA), James Leuschen (former policy director for House Majority Leader Hoyer), and Evangelos Argyrakis. Republicans have effectively one candidate: Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding, after Brett Lindstrom dropped out January 30, 2026.
John Cavanaugh — State Senator · Son of Rep. Cavanaugh · Score: 73% ✅
Denise Powell — PAC co-founder · EMILY's List · Score: 68%
Crystal Rhoades — Court Clerk · Former PSC Commissioner · Score: 67%
Kishla Askins — Navy veteran · Former VA official · Score: 66%
James Leuschen — Former Hoyer policy director · Score: 62%
+ Evangelos Argyrakis · Score: 40%
Brinker Harding — Omaha City Councilman · Bacon endorsed · Score: 62% ⚠ Ranked
Brett Lindstrom withdrew Jan 30, 2026. Field cleared.
Nebraska uniquely awards its congressional district electoral votes independently — NE-02's single electoral vote went Democratic in 2008, 2020, and 2024. Crystal Rhoades has made Cavanaugh's candidacy a primary issue: if Cavanaugh wins the House seat, he must resign his Legislature seat, and Republican Gov. Jim Pillen would appoint a replacement — potentially costing Democrats a critical filibuster vote. Rhoades argues this risk is too high given how close the legislative balance is. Cavanaugh disputes this, arguing Democrats will gain legislative seats in November. This is a genuine and substantive debate among Democratic primary voters who are uniquely invested in both the congressional and legislative balance.
The NE-02 Democratic field has an exceptionally clean donor profile. Cavanaugh's labor union and progressive PAC endorsements are disclosed and issue-aligned. Powell's EMILY's List and BOLD PAC support represents advocacy organizations, not corporate interests. Rhoades, Askins, and Leuschen have individual-donor-heavy profiles with no documented corporate PAC exposure. Argyrakis has no documented fundraising. Brinker Harding on the Republican side has a business community and Republican establishment donor base with NRCC support expected in the general.
Two candidates have documented Israel lobby exposure: James Leuschen ($13,500 via MDACC) and Crystal Rhoades ($750 plus pro-Israel characterization per Jewish Insider Feb 2026). All other candidates — Cavanaugh, Powell, Askins, Argyrakis, and Harding — have zero documented exposure. NE-02 is not currently identified as a primary UDP or AIPAC target.
| Candidate | Status | Lobby Total | PAC Organizations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Leuschen (D) | ⚠ Documented | $13,500 | MDACC | ip_foreign:8. Low-moderate exposure. Majority of donations from out-of-state. |
| Crystal Rhoades (D) | ⚠ Documented | $750 | — | ip_foreign:5. Pro-Israel characterization per Jewish Insider Feb 2026. |
| John Cavanaugh (D) | ✓ $0 — Not Listed | $0 | — | Not listed on TrackAIPAC. |
| Denise Powell (D) | ✓ $0 — Not Listed | $0 | — | Not listed on TrackAIPAC. |
| Kishla Askins (D) | ✓ $0 — Not Listed | $0 | — | Not listed on TrackAIPAC. |
| Brinker Harding (R) | ✓ $0 — Not Listed | $0 | — | Not listed on TrackAIPAC. |
Proxy PACs & New Popup Organizations:
No popup or proxy PACs identified for this race in current reporting. (No popup PACs identified for NE-02 2026.)
Official Statements & Documented Positions:
Sources: TrackAIPAC.com (data via FEC & OpenSecrets) · Checked March 22, 2026. Lobby Total = career total from all pro-Israel PACs and their donors. PACs = direct contributions. IE = independent expenditure ad spend. Lobby Donors = individuals who make large contributions to pro-Israel PACs.
PoliVion scores every candidate on the same formula using only publicly available evidence — FEC filings, voting records, campaign websites, and verified journalism. Scores reflect transparency and governance capacity, not ideology or polling position.
Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District primary takes place May 12, 2026 in the Omaha metropolitan area — covering Douglas County, Saunders County, and parts of Sarpy County — to determine nominees following Rep. Don Bacon's retirement.
NE-02 is one of the most competitive House seats in the country. Rep. Don Bacon's retirement opens a genuinely toss-up seat. Uniquely, NE-02 is one of two congressional districts in the country that can split its Electoral College vote from the rest of the state.
Six Democrats are competing, including State Senator John Cavanaugh (son of former Rep. Cavanaugh) and Denise Powell (EMILY's List endorsee).
The general election is November 3, 2026. The May 12 primary determines the Democratic and Republican nominees.