- AP projects Denise Powell as the Democratic nominee for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district
- Thousands of Democratic primary ballots remain uncounted; Cavanaugh has not conceded
- Powell faces Republican Brinker Harding in November in a district that split its vote in 2024
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) – The Associated Press says Denise Powell will be the Democratic nominee for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district.
Powell said she learned the AP called the race in her favor Wednesday night while at her son's baseball game.
"The parents and I all just jumped up and cheered. The boys came out of the dugout," Powell said.
As of Thursday afternoon, Nebraska's Secretary of State website shows Powell leading John Cavanaugh by 1,080 votes.
Cavanaugh's campaign has not conceded, pointing to more than 5,000 Democratic primary ballots that have not yet been counted. Douglas County Election Commissioner Danielle Jensen says those ballots will be counted Friday.
Cavanaugh's campaign manager released a statement saying, "We want to ensure every vote is counted."
His campaign did not grant an interview request Thursday, with his campaign manager citing a lack of availability.
Powell will face Republican Brinker Harding in November's general election. Both candidates are crafting messages to win a purple district where voters in 2024 chose Republican Don Bacon for Congress and Democrat Kamala Harris for president.
"I'm focused on the entire district, and that's the message that I'm going to make sure everyone hears. I don't care if you're a Republican. I don't care if you're a Democrat or an Independent," Harding said in an interview on Tuesday night.
Powell is already signaling her general election priorities.
"I think taking back control over the president's tariff policies, that has just wreaked havoc on so many things. This war in Iran, I have been opposed to it from the get go. It is costing Americans billions of dollars," Powell said.
As Powell works to attract Republican and Independent voters, she will also need to consolidate support from Cavanaugh's backers. Nebraska Democratic Party Executive Director Precious McKesson is already calling for unity.
"We have to be united in working together and talking to the voters. And again, it's going to be about listening to what the voters want for District 2," McKesson said.
Voters who were bombarded with ads during the primary should expect more in the general election. Just minutes after the race was called, a national Republican group announced a new set of attack ads against Powell.
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