By Aaron Sanderford Nebraska Examiner
A Republican effort to change how Nebraska’s electoral votes are allocated in a way that would favor former President Donald Trump faced political reality on Monday when a key lawmaker, the state’s Sen. Mike McDonnell, announced he would not support the change.
McDonnell, of Omaha, said he’s heard from people in his Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District who are passionate about the issue, but he hasn’t heard enough to change his original opposition.
“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, regardless of who they are, where they live or what party they support,” McDonnell said in a statement. “I have taken the time to listen carefully to both Nebraskans and our national leaders on this issue, and after careful consideration, it is clear that with 43 days until Election Day, now is not the time to make this change.”
McDonnell said he had informed Governor Pillen of his position and suggested the Legislature should put the winner-take-all system to a referendum as a constitutional amendment to allow the people to “finally” decide the issue.
Nebraska and Maine are the only states that award one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district, plus two votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote. Nebraska has split its vote twice in four presidential elections.
President Joe Biden won the 2nd Congressional District in 2020. President Trump won all five of the state’s electoral votes in 2016. Mitt Romney did the same in 2012. The 2nd Congressional District was nationally named the “blue dot” when former President Barack Obama won it in 2008.
Division of the 2nd District
Nebraska Republicans have long argued that the state should award all five of its electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote, a process known as “winner-take-all.”
While Republicans have a two-to-one advantage over Democrats in registered voters statewide, the 2nd Congressional District has a much more even split between Republicans, Democrats, and registered independents, a division that makes the 2nd Congressional District competitive in national elections.
Gov. Jim Pillen had promised to call a special session if he could secure the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and change the system to winner-take-all. All five of Nebraska’s Republican House members wrote a letter urging state lawmakers to pass such a measure.
The Nebraska Legislature has 33 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one progressive who is registered as an Independent.
Pillen’s office had no immediate comment Monday, nor did the Trump or Harris campaigns.
McDonnell’s opposition to winner-take-all leaves Republicans in Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan state legislature with no path to overcome a potential filibuster unless a Democrat or independent senator defects. So far, no one has challenged the status quo.
One reason for the increased sense of urgency among Republicans is that national polls show a close race between President Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, with some political observers arguing that the 269-269 electoral vote tie in the 2nd Congressional District could be broken.
Few Democrats were surprised that the fate of this winner-take-all race hinged so much on McDonnell, a former Omaha firefighters’ union chief who switched to the Republican Party this spring after facing political backlash from Democrats for his support for abortion restrictions.
Some have said the abortion debate should have signaled to Republicans that McDonnell rarely budges once he has taken a controversial position — he said he doesn’t support winner-take-all policies when he switched parties — and that he did what was most politically advantageous.
McDonnell’s position It has softened in recent weeks He has faced pressure from local, state and national Republicans, including some with ties to the Trump campaign. He was one of 24 Republican state senators who met with Sen. Pillen and Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sept. 18.
What I’ve heard from both sides
McDonnell told his Republican colleagues last week he was exploring ways to secure their support, according to people who attended. He told the Examiner on ThursdayShortly after the meeting discussions were made public, he maintained his opposition to winner-take-all “as of today.”
He continued to meet and speak with people on both sides of the issue after his remarks, including those with ties to Trump, and he also heard from national and local Democrats with ties to Harris.
But on Monday, McDonnell appeared to want to put an end to the issue — and in so doing, his tiny corner of Nebraska may have secured another crucial election for both presidential campaigns.
Both Trump and Harris have campaign staff and surrogates in Nebraska. Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Nebraska native, held a rally in the state. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, visited the state to raise funds and meet with local Republicans.
For Mr. McDonnell, the calculation may be partly political: He has openly hinted at running for Omaha mayor as early as 2025. His leading challenger, Republican incumbent Jean Stothert, has said she supports switching to a winner-take-all system.
While statewide support leans toward winner-take-all, polls over the years have shown broad bipartisan support in the 2nd Congressional District for preserving the state’s unusual system, which brings attention and money to the Omaha region.
McDonnell’s statement acknowledged the impact on the district.
“For Omaha, this will bring huge national attention, impact our local economy and force presidential candidates to address all Nebraskans instead of just flying over and ignoring us,” he said.
Praised for “Strong Stance”
Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb praised McDonnell for “resisting significant pressure from outside interests and protecting Nebraskans’ right to a voice in our democracy.”
“Nebraska prides itself on its long and proud tradition of independence, and our election system reflects that by ensuring that election results are free from interference and truly reflect the will of the people,” Cleave said.
Cleave also said the party would support a leader who would “stand up for people”, which some have interpreted as a hint that McDonnell could secure some form of party backing if he returns or runs in the future.
The Nebraska Republican Party has not yet commented.
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