Denise Powell leads in Democratic primary for crucial Nebraska ‘blue dot’ seat

Key Points:

• Denise Powell holds a narrow lead over state Sen. John Cavanaugh in Nebraska’s Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District, with about a 2-point margin and the race still too close to call.
• The district is a key battleground, with Democrats and Republicans both viewing the November general election as crucial for House control; Powell and Cavanaugh represent different wings of the Democratic Party and have attracted substantial outside spending.
• Powell is backed by centrist groups like EMILY’s List and the New Democrat Coalition, while Cavanaugh has support from progressive organizations and labor unions; the race also highlights concerns about Nebraska’s electoral vote allocation system.
• In the Nebraska Senate Democratic primary, Cindy Burbank won decisively but may not run in November, potentially clearing the way for independent Dan Osborn to challenge Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who easily won his GOP primary.
• The Senate primary featured accusations that anti-abortion pastor William Forbes was a Republican plant to split the Democratic vote, with Burbank running primarily to block Forbes and then potentially withdrawing to support Osborn.