- Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District is up for grabs
- The state divides its electoral votes proportionally and could decide a close race
Vice President Kamala Harris has taken an eight-point lead in a key congressional district that could tip the race for the White House if it ends up being a photo finish in the electoral college.
His lead in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District is the largest of the cycle in the Remington Research Group poll, where Trump had held a narrow lead over President Joe Biden before his campaign ended.
The district’s importance is evident in the candidates’ agendas. Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, was there on Wednesday for a grassroots fundraiser at a bar. Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, stopped there while en route to Chicago for the Democratic convention and attempted to complete his biography.
He spent his childhood in Butte and Valentine, Nebraska. Walz gave a speech at the convention Wednesday night in which he highlighted his Midwestern roots and his experience as an assistant high school football coach. Cheering delegates were handed signs that read “Coach Walz.”
President Joe Biden won the district in 2020 by a vote of 52 to 46. In the end, that didn’t matter in that race, which wasn’t particularly close, and he won 306 to 232.
Harris narrowly leads Trump on economic issues, 47 to 46.
Vice President Kamala Harris has taken an eight-point lead in a key Nebraska congressional district
It’s hard to predict how things will play out in November, but Democratic Party leaders, including Harris and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, warn that the race could be close. Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, said some battleground states could be decided by one or two votes in each district.
Trump and Harris campaigns clash over Obama-based battleground
Hariss’ running mate Tim Walz highlights his Nebraska roots
Nebraska distributes its five electoral votes proportionally, with two at-large electors and three others divided by district.
The Omaha-based seat is usually the only one up for grabs. In 2020, they split for the second time in the Republican-leaning state.
Walz tried to put the playing field in football terms Wednesday night. “It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down by a field goal. But we’re on offense and we have the ball. We’re moving down the field. And boy, do we have the right team,” he told the convention crowd.
Harris has a 50 percent approval rating in the poll, compared to Donald Trump’s 42 percent.
In just one Electoral College scenario, Harris could retain most of Biden’s 2020 map, including his Midwestern “blue wall,” while giving up battlegrounds in Nevada and Arizona — so long as she retains the Nebraska district Biden won.
