Race called in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Congressman Don Bacon has once again won re-election in Nebraska’s “blue dot” district.

Both AP and NBC News called the race Friday evening.

Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District rematch between Republican Don Bacon and Democrat Tony Vargas remained a close battle since the results first came in on Tuesday evening. With only a few votes left to count, it sometimes seemed as if the outcome could go either way; but previous voting trends in the areas yet to be counted ensured Bacon won in 2022.

That was also true this year.

Nebraskans also did their part to help the US Senate turns red Tuesday, with both Republican incumbents remaining in office.

Nebraska’s senior senator has weathered a very tight race with election results remaining close Deb Fischer And Then Osborn neck and neck for much of the night. In the end she took the lead and won.

Nebraska voters sent the U.S. senator. Pete Ricketts back to Washington DC for the next two years; the race was called in his favor early Tuesday evening.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, AP and several major networks joined Fox News calls out the presidential race for former President Trump.

Former President Trump Iowa won despite the controversial opinion polls that dropped over the weekend, indicating the state could go to Harris. He also retained the lead in District 1, winning just after midnight; and well maintained District 3. Vice President Harris won District 2. Each district awards one Nebraska electoral vote.

The former president obtained the necessary 270 electoral votes overnight, and later in the day the count reached 292, with only four states still counting.

Nebraskans also voted to repeal school vouchers but kept the state’s existing abortion restrictions on the books; The totals will not be delved into to determine which of the two against abortion measures wins out. Meanwhile, the two medical marijuana measures passed with ease, even as their appearance on the ballot continues working their way through the courts.

Results updated at 5:11 PM Friday.

SENATE

Deb Fischer* = 53.9%
Dan Osborn = 46.1%

Term of two years

Pete Ricketts* = 63.1%
Preston Love Jr. = 36.9%

CONGRESS

2nd arrondissement

Don Bacon* = 51.2%
Tony Vargas = 48.8%

1st district

Mike Flood* = 60.5%
Carol Blood = 39.5%

* Incumbents || Indicated winners are in bold

VOTING INITIATIVES

Abortion

Initiative 434 (against abortion rights)
- For = 55.3%
- Against = 44.7%
Initiative 439 (for abortion rights)
- For = 48.7%
- Against = 51.3%

Medical marijuana

Initiative 437 (allows prescriptions)
- For = 70.7%
- Against = 29.3%
Initiative 438 (establishes regulatory measures)
- Front = 67.0%
- Against = 33.0%

School vouchers

Initiative 435
- Withdrawal = 57.1%
- Retained = 42.9%

Indicated winners are in bold

ELECTION 2024

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Comments

“Today is a great day for America and for Nebraska. Although there are still a few votes to be counted and some races are still too close, it is clear that Nebraskans stood strong for their values and prosperity in this election.

I want to thank every Nebraska candidate who has run for public office. Elections are tough on the candidates and their families, and they should be. They have made a great sacrifice just to run for office, and I commend each of them for their willingness to serve.

I am deeply grateful that President Donald J. Trump will return to the White House. He carries with him the promise of a strong, prosperous and secure America, committed to the rule of law. I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with him as we rebuild a strong economy, fight for fair trade for American workers, fight Chinese interference, and secure our border.

Here in Nebraska, the people have chosen to maintain a strong conservative majority in our legislature. I’m excited to work with Senators to continue the work to create a strong future for our children, lower taxes, stand up for the agricultural producers who are the backbone of our state, and defend our values . We have a lot of work to do, and I look forward to the 2025 legislative session and the promise it holds for the people of our state.

The people of Nebraska wisely chose to send stable, experienced conservatives to represent them in Congress. Preliminary results show that all five members of our federal delegation will continue their service and use their seniority to benefit the people of our state in a House and Senate that could both be led by conservative Republicans. Those majorities represent tremendous opportunities for Nebraska, and I look forward to continued work with our delegation to advance our interests in Washington.

I am disappointed that selfish union bosses spread lies and dark money ads to deceive Nebraskans and take Opportunity Scholarships away from needy children who had the opportunity to attend schools that worked for them, even as we invested unprecedented resources in our public schools . I will never give up on our children, and I will continue to fight to create better educational opportunities for them at every level.

I am deeply moved by the faith and conviction that Nebraskans have shown in the two abortion-related ballot initiatives. Initiative 434 passed, enshrining pro-life protections in our Constitution that cannot be weakened by pro-abortion politicians. At the same time, Nebraskans rejected Initiative 439 and its radical creation of a fundamental right to abortion. It’s a great day for unborn babies in Nebraska.

God bless America and God bless the state of Nebraska.”

“We are proud of both the candidates who won and those who did not reach the finish line. The last election cycle was grueling. Volunteers, party workers, and voters gave it their all to achieve the results we all hoped for, which ultimately meant sending a woman to the White House and Senator Vargas to Congress.

We feel strongly that we delivered the blue dot for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

Our party has work to do. It’s clear that the key issues that define our party — including public schools, paid sick leave and medical marijuana voters — are on our side. However, we recognize that Republican party loyalty in partisan races is a hurdle that remains before us. We will continue to work to register voters, be present in the community and deliver results at the local level to build voter confidence to win at the congressional and state levels.”

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Corrections: An earlier version of this story prematurely declared two of Nebraska’s five electoral votes before those districts were declared. Previous versions of this story also included converted totals for the school voucher initiative. 6 News regrets the errors.

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