Denise Powell leads state Sen. John Cavanaugh by just over 1,000 votes in an incredibly tight race for the Democratic nomination in Nebraska’s 2nd District.
Powell had 38.9% of the vote to Cavanaugh’s 36.8% as of early Wednesday morning, with 89% of the vote in.
This seat is a top pickup opportunity for Democrats. GOP Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, and former Vice President Kamala Harris won the district in 2024. But the Democratic primary grew increasingly contentious in the closing days and drew millions of dollars in outside spending.
The eventual Democratic nominee will face GOP candidate Brinker Harding in November.
Nebraska’s Senate Democratic primary. Independent Dan Osborn received a major boost when Cindy Burbank won the Democratic primary. Burbank has pledged to drop out of the race to consolidate support for Osborn, who’s challenging incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.). Democrats are coalescing around Osborn, whom they view as their best chance to unseat Ricketts.
West Virginia Senate GOP primary. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) beat back a number of primary challengers to win her primary. With nearly all the votes in, Capito had a sizable 66.5% of the vote. Her closest competitor, state Sen. Adam Willis, had 19%.
