Read the full article on Nebraska Examiner
OMAHA — President Donald Trump made his support for the presumptive Republican nominee for the U.S. House known Tuesday in Nebraska’s most politically divided and diverse congressional district.
The impact of Trump’s endorsement of Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding was not immediately clear in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District, where the president has lost two straight elections.
Harding was the last Republican running after former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom dropped out earlier this year and after the retirement of five -term GOP U.S. Rep. Don Bacon.
Trump said, in his social media post on Truth Social, that Harding has “dedicated his life to serving his Community.”
“As your next Congressman, Brinker will work tirelessly to Champion our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Support our Brave Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.
Harding said he looks forward to working with Trump to “make life more affordable and government more accountable.”
Other state elected officials have gotten a Trump endorsement — most recently, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers. But even in a red state, national pundits consider the 2nd Congressional District as a possible pickup for congressional Democrats.
The 2nd District includes all of Douglas and Saunders Counties and a slice of western suburban and rural Sarpy County. The district includes the state’s largest concentration of Democrats and was redistricted to include a larger swath of Republican-leaning rural voters in and around Wahoo.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Randall Adkins, a University of Nebraska at Omaha political science professor, said it’s “hard to say” how a Trump endorsement could affect the race.
“Trump doesn’t like to endorse unless he knows he’s backing a winner. So, [it] says a lot about what White House thinks the odds are in the district,” Adkins said. “[It] could cost Harding a few moderate votes, but [it] solidifies his conservative bona fides … Honestly, the biggest impact is the signal to the donor class at the national level. Opens fundraising doors for Harding.”
The district and Bacon, as its representative, have a complicated history with Trump. Bacon has criticized Trump’s handling of Ukraine and the administration’s treatment of American allies, including Europe and Canada. Trump and his team actively sought a primary challenger for Bacon in 2022.
Bacon, like either Harding or the winner of the Democratic primary, will have to balance representing a slightly right-leaning swing district. Democrats in the state have complained that Bacon talked tough about Trump and voted with him for years. Bacon ultimately endorsed Trump three times. And he was endorsed by Trump each time.
Trump’s endorsement of Harding comes pretty early in the 2026 cycle compared to when the then-presidential candidate endorsed Bacon — about one month before the November 2024 election.
Harding is waiting to see who his opponent will be, as six Democrats are vying for the Democratic nomination. Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb wrote on social media, “It’s not often I want to say Thank You to Trump.”
Nebraska’s primary election is May 12. The general election is Nov. 3.
