Nebraska's 2nd congressional district

Nebraska's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Nebraska that encompasses the core of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It includes all of Douglas County, which includes the state's largest city Omaha; it also includes Saunders County and areas of western Sarpy County. It has been represented in the United States House of Representatives since 2017 by Don Bacon, a member of the Republican Party.

With a Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI) rating of D+3, it is the most Democratic-leaning district in the United States with a Republican representative, and one of three congressional districts nationwide with a Democratic Cook PVI rating but a Republican representative; the others are New York's 17th congressional district and Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district, both with a Cook PVI of D+1. These three were also the only U.S. congressional districts that voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election while also electing a Republican in the concurrent House of Representatives elections.

History While the rest of the state's electorate tends to be solidly Republican, the 2nd district is much more closely divided between the Republican and Democratic parties. In the 2010s, the district became known as a swing district; it was one of two districts with a margin of less than 5% in all elections held after the 2010 census. Since 2000, it has backed the electoral winner of the presidential election with the exceptions of 2012 and 2024.

Since 1992, Nebraska is one of only two states in the United States that distributes their electoral votes for president by both congressional district and statewide popular vote (the other being Maine). In the 2008 United States presidential election, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama targeted the district as a strategy of breaking a potential electoral-vote tie. He won the district's electoral vote by a margin of 3,325 votes over Republican John McCain, who won the state's other four electoral votes. Obama's victory in the 2nd district meant that Nebraska's electoral delegation was split for the first time ever, and the first Nebraskan electoral vote for a Democrat since 1964. However, he subsequently failed to win the district in 2012 against Mitt Romney. In 2014, longtime Representative Lee Terry, a Republican, was ousted by Democratic challenger Brad Ashford, one of only two Republican incumbents that cycle to lose their seat.

In 2016, Republican Donald Trump won only a plurality of the 2nd district over Democrat Hillary Clinton; he won only 2% over Clinton, a sharp reduction of Romney's seven-point advantage over Obama. Republican Don Bacon also bested one-term Democrat Brad Ashford to win the seat and has held the seat since. In 2020, Trump notably targeted the district in a fashion similar to Obama as Democrat Joe Biden polled at an advantage in the district. Trump's campaigning in the district drew criticism after rally attendees were left stranded in freezing temperatures due to transportation issues. Biden ultimately won in the district over Trump by six points, nearly matching Romney's margin over Obama. Precious McKesson cast the electoral vote, making her the first woman of color in the state to cast an Electoral college ballot. On August 17, 2024, Nebraska native and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz campaigned in the district to win it over once again. Democrats have nicknamed the district the 'blue dot' from its depiction on electoral maps surrounded by red states.

Demographics According to the APM Research Lab's Voter Profile Tools (featuring the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey), the district contained about 473,000 potential voters (citizens, age 18+). Of these, 80% are White, 9% Black, and 6% Latino. Immigrants make up 5% of the district's potential voters. The median income among households (with one or more potential voters) in the district is about $73,400, while 8% of households live below the poverty line. As for the educational attainment of potential voters in the district, 40% hold a bachelor's or higher degree.

Redistricting controversies During redistricting in 2011, state lawmakers removed the city of Bellevue — an area with a large minority population — and Offutt Air Force Base from the district, and moved them to a district including Omaha's Republican-heavy suburbs in western Sarpy County. The move was criticized by Democrats as a gerrymander meant to dilute the urban vote due to its support of Obama in 2008.

Following its support of Joe Biden in the 2020 election, State Senator Lou Ann Linehan proposed a new map that would again dilute the Democratic vote by splitting the city of Omaha into two separate districts, and adding heavily Republican-leaning Sarpy and Saunders Counties. State Senator Justin Wayne proposed an alternative map that would restore the map to its pre-2011 movement by adding Bellevue back to the district and remove areas that lean Republican. Linehan's congressional redistricting plan passed the committee 5–4 on a party-line vote, but failed a cloture vote following a filibuster; both maps received bipartisan criticism for splitting Douglas and/or Sarpy counties. The legislature ultimately passed a map that kept Douglas County intact, while retaining rural parts in western Sarpy County and adding the rural Saunders County. The resulting maps have again been criticized as gerrymanders, and both Linehan's and the final maps have again been characterized as diluting urban voters.

Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 50% - 48%2012 PresidentRomney 53% - 47%2016 PresidentTrump 48% - 46%2018 SenateFischer 49% - 48% GovernorKrist 51% - 49%2020 PresidentBiden 52% - 46%2022 GovernorPillen 48.2% - 48.1%2024 PresidentHarris 51% - 47% Senate (Reg.)Osborn 56% - 44% Senate (Spec.)Ricketts 50.2% - 49.8%

Composition Nebraska's 2nd district includes the entirety of the following counties with the exception of Sarpy, which it shares with the 1st. Sarpy County communities within the 2nd include Beacon View, Gretna, Linoma Beach, Melia, Richfield, Springfield, and parts of Papillion.https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST31/CD118_NE02.pdf #CountySeatPopulation55DouglasOmaha589,540153Sarpy (shared with 1st)Papillion199,886155SaundersWahoo23,463

Cities and CDPs with 10,000 or more people

Omaha – 483,335 Papillion (shared with 1st) – 23,791

2,500 – 10,000 people

Gretna – 9,054 Ralston – 6,401 Wahoo – 4,987 Ashland – 3,367 Valley – 3,236

List of members representing the district Member Party Years of service Congress Electoral history Counties District established March 4, 1883James Laird Republican March 4, 1883 –August 17, 1889 Elected in 1882.Re-elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886.Re-elected in 1888.Died. 1883–1893:Cass, Douglas, Gage, Johnson, Lancaster, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Sarpy, Saunders, WashingtonGilbert L. LawsRepublican December 2, 1889 –March 3, 1891 Elected to finish Laird's term.Retired.William A. McKeighanPopulist March 4, 1891 –March 3, 1893 Elected in 1890.Redistricted to the .David Henry MercerRepublican March 4, 1893 –March 3, 1903 Elected in 1892.Re-elected in 1894.Re-elected in 1896.Re-elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Lost re-election. 1893–1943:Douglas, Sarpy, Washington Gilbert HitchcockDemocratic March 4, 1903 –March 3, 1905 Elected in 1902.Lost re-election.John L. KennedyRepublican March 4, 1905 –March 3, 1907 Elected in 1904.Lost re-election. Gilbert HitchcockDemocratic March 4, 1907 –March 3, 1911 Elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Retired to run for U.S. senator. Charles O. LobeckDemocratic March 4, 1911 –March 3, 1919 Elected in 1910.Re-elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Lost re-election. Albert W. JefferisRepublican March 4, 1919 –March 3, 1923 Elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Retired to run for U.S. senator. Willis G. SearsRepublican March 4, 1923 –March 3, 1931 Elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Lost renomination. H. Malcolm BaldrigeRepublican March 4, 1931 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1930.Lost re-election. Edward R. BurkeDemocratic March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1935 Elected in 1932.Retired to run for U.S. senator. Charles F. McLaughlinDemocratic January 3, 1935 –January 3, 1943 Elected in 1934.Re-elected in 1936.Re-elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Lost re-election. Howard BuffettRepublican January 3, 1943 –January 3, 1949 Elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Lost re-election. 1943-1963:Cass, Douglas, Otoe, Sarpy, WashingtonEugene D. O'SullivanDemocratic January 3, 1949 –January 3, 1951 Elected in 1948.Lost re-election. Howard BuffettRepublican January 3, 1951 –January 3, 1953 Elected in 1950.Retired. Roman HruskaRepublican January 3, 1953 –November 8, 1954 Elected in 1952.Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.Jackson B. ChaseRepublican January 3, 1955 –January 3, 1957 Elected in 1954.Retired. Glenn CunninghamRepublican January 3, 1957 –January 3, 1971 Elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Re-elected in 1964.Re-elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Lost renomination. 1963-1969:Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Washington 1969-1983:Burt, Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Washington John Y. McCollisterRepublican January 3, 1971 –January 3, 1977 Elected in 1970.Re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. John J. Cavanaugh IIIDemocratic January 3, 1977 –January 3, 1981 Elected in 1976.Re-elected in 1978.Retired. Hal DaubRepublican January 3, 1981 –January 3, 1989 Elected in 1980.Re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Retired to run for U.S. Senator.1983-1993:Burt, Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Washington Peter HoaglandDemocratic January 3, 1989 –January 3, 1995 Elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1992.Lost re-election.1993-2003:Part of Cass, Douglas, Sarpy Jon ChristensenRepublican January 3, 1995 –January 3, 1999 Elected in 1994.Re-elected in 1996.Retired to run for Governor. Lee TerryRepublican January 3, 1999 –January 3, 2015 Elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Lost re-election. 2003–2013:Douglas, Part of Sarpy 2013–2023:Douglas, Part of Sarpy Brad AshfordDemocratic January 3, 2015 –January 3, 2017 Elected in 2014.Lost re-election. Don BaconRepublican January 3, 2017 –present Elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024.Retiring at the end of term. 2023–present:Douglas, Part of Sarpy, Saunders

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Nebraska's 2nd congressional district

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