Nebraska congressman keeps seat after nail-biting vote count in swing district
Republican incumbent wins tight race in Nebraskaʼs Omaha-based district after days of vote counting. Split-ticket voting and moderate approach help secure fifth term in closely-watched contest
In a close-fought contest Don Bacon secured his fifth term representing Nebraskas 2nd District beating Democratic challenger Tony Vargas in their second match-up (first happened about 2 years ago)
The race stayed un-decided for several days while election workers processed remaining ballots: including early-votes‚ drop-box submissions and hard-to-read papers. The district which covers Omaha area shows a near-even split between party voters making every vote count
We couldnt have done this without split-ticket voters; we would have lost. I recognize that
The district has a unique history of splitting votes in presidential races - its one of just two states allowing electoral-vote divisions. Past results show democratic presidential candidates winning here: Obama about 15 years ago and Biden in recent years
Both candidates tried reaching middle-ground voters in this swing-district. Bacon highlighted his bi-partisan work including support for the big infrastructure-package‚ while staying firm on issues like Israel support. Vargas focused on:
- Working family needs
- Senior citizen support
- Student-focused programs
- Cross-party cooperation
Final vote processing continues with about 5‚500 provisional ballots still needing review. Local election chief Brian Kruse explained various reasons for ballot-reading problems - wrong ink colors; check-marks instead of filled ovals; even coffee stains made some hard to process. Officials plan finishing counts by mid-november
