National Republicans match Nebraska’s 2nd District ad push by Democrats

Nebraska voters in the state's 2nd Congressional District will face a rematch between Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas, left, and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. (Courtesy of the candidates; Capitol photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

OMAHA — National Republicans have more than matched the $1.07 million early advertising reservation of their Democratic counterparts in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. 

The National Republican Campaign Committee on Thursday announced $1.24 million in digital and television advertising set asides in the Omaha market. 

The move continues a months-long game of can-you-top-this continues in this year’s outside spending war to help Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas in the state’s most competitive congressional district.

Battleground spending

The NRCC ad reservations are part of $45.7 million in digital and television ad reservations nationally. Democrats earlier spent $28 million on advertising in competitive races nationally.

The NRCC said much of its money is targeted at House seats held by Democrats in districts that former President Donald Trump won in 2020, with money also targeted at districts like Nebraska’s 2nd District, held by a Republican, which President Joe Biden won.

The NRCC reserved ad time in 28 markets, from Albuquerque to Portland to Bangor, Maine. Republicans hold a 219-213 House majority over Democrats, with three vacancies.

“The NRCC committed from Day One to … go on offense to grow our majority,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said in a statement. “Extreme Democrats who enabled the chaos and malaise should polish up their resumes – they will be unemployed soon.”

Meg Mandy, with the Vargas campaign, said, “It’s no surprise that MAGA Republicans have come to bail Don Bacon out after he’s pushed extremist Republicans’ agenda.” The campaign again criticized Bacon’s stands on abortion, Social Security, Medicare and taxes.

Big investments expected

Political observers have said they expect another major set of investments in the 2nd District race, in part because of the ability of presidential candidates to secure a single Electoral College vote by winning in the district.

Nebraska and Maine are the only states that award a single electoral vote to the winner of the presidential race in each congressional district. Other states award all their votes to the presidential winner statewide.

Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, has discussed calling a special session if he can find the votes to shift the state to winner-take-all. He has yet to find a filibuster-proof majority willing to do so this late in an election year.

Democratic state lawmakers in Maine have said that they may do the same and switch to winner-take-all if they see Nebraska lawmakers trying to game the system in the favor of a single candidate, rendering any advantage moot.

More than $18 million was spent on the 2nd District House race in 2022, including more than $11 million in outside money from groups such as the NRCC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. This cycle has already seen more than $3 million spent.

The GOP-led Congressional Leadership Fund announced a separate $2.8 million ad reservation to help Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general. That’s up from $1.3 million in early 2022.

The Democratic-led House Majority PAC previously announced a separate $2 million pledge to reserve ad time in support of Vargas, who represents South Omaha in the Legislature.

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