# Denise Powell **Denise Powell** is an Omaha Democrat who won the open seat in **Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District** on November 3, 2026, the Associated Press projected, defeating Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member endorsed by [[Donald Trump]]. Harding conceded. The Omaha-area seat had been held for five terms by Republican [[Don Bacon]], who retired. Powell, a first-time candidate who had never held public office, co-founded a political action committee that recruits women to run, and Rural Radio Network reported that she is the first woman elected to represent the district. > [!success] Election result > The Associated Press projected on November 3, 2026 that Powell won, a Democratic pickup. Vote totals are unofficial until Nebraska certifies the result. Full race context: [[NE-02-2026]]. Live coverage: [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]]. ## Background - **Women Who Run Nebraska.** She co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a political action committee that encourages and supports women running for office (Nebraska Examiner, Associated Press, Nebraska Public Media). Katie Couric Media reported that she started it in 2017 after attending the Women's March in Washington. When she launched her campaign she told KMTV she had spent the previous eight years encouraging women to run. - **Ballot campaigns.** The Nebraska Examiner reported that she worked on recent Nebraska ballot initiatives, including the failed effort to write abortion rights into state law and the successful repeal of a publicly funded voucher program for private K-12 schools. - **Work.** Rural Radio Network describes her as a communications consultant and health-care advocate; KMTV described her at her launch as an Omaha business owner and an advocate for public schools. - **Family and heritage.** She is Latina (Associated Press, Nebraska Examiner), and Roll Call described her as the daughter of Chilean and Cuban immigrants. She told the Nebraska Examiner she was the first Latina to file for federal office in Nebraska. KMTV reported that she lives in central Omaha with her husband and two children. ## The 2026 campaign - **Launch.** She announced on May 1, 2025, initially as a challenger to Bacon (KMTV, Nebraska Public Media), and told KMTV her campaign was about "Economic issues. 100 percent economic issues." Bacon later chose not to seek re-election, leaving the seat open. - **Primary.** She won the May 12, 2026 Democratic primary with about 39 percent to state Sen. John Cavanaugh's 37 percent; the Associated Press called it the next evening (Associated Press, Nebraska Examiner, Roll Call). Her side argued that nominating Cavanaugh would have opened his legislative seat and made it easier for Republicans to end Nebraska's practice of awarding an electoral vote by congressional district (Associated Press, Roll Call). Cavanaugh, for his part, called her "Dark Money Denise" (Nebraska Examiner). - **Support.** EMILY's List and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus's campaign arm backed her (Associated Press, Roll Call, Nebraska Examiner). - **Message.** She ran on lowering costs, protecting health-care access, strengthening education and defending reproductive rights (Rural Radio Network). "Affordability is the number one thing people want to talk about," she told Katie Couric Media, which also reported that she has spoken publicly about nearly dying from an ectopic pregnancy about 14 years earlier. - **Her opponent.** Harding ran unopposed in the Republican primary with Trump's endorsement (Associated Press, Roll Call), and Roll Call reported that Bacon endorsed him too. He campaigned on economic growth, border security and expanded use of E-15 fuel (Rural Radio Network), and called Powell an "out-of-state, out-of-touch progressive activist trying to buy a House seat in Nebraska" (Roll Call). - **Opposition money.** The Republican super PAC [[Congressional Leadership Fund]] reported spending about $259,000 opposing her in a 48-hour notice to the Federal Election Commission received October 2, 2026; see [[CLF 24.5M House IE October 2026]]. - **The district.** It was one of three districts in the country that voted for [[Kamala Harris]] for president in 2024 while electing a Republican to the House (Associated Press); Roll Call reported that Harris carried it by 5 points. Because Nebraska awards one [[Electoral College]] vote to the winner of each congressional district, the seat also matters in presidential years. - **Election night.** In returns posted late on election night, Nebraska.tv reported Powell with 102,890 votes (58 percent) to Harding's 69,284 (39 percent). ## Connections - [[NE-02-2026]] — the race she won - [[Don Bacon]] — the Republican who held the seat for five terms and retired - [[Donald Trump]] — endorsed her Republican opponent - [[Congressional Leadership Fund]] — Republican super PAC that spent against her - [[CLF 24.5M House IE October 2026]] — the spending filing that included her race - [[Electoral College]] — why Nebraska's 2nd District counts in presidential races - [[2026 House Races Hub]] — every competitive House race - [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]] — election-night coverage ## Sources - [Associated Press — NE-02 race call](https://apnews.com/live/midterm-election-2026#000001a1-a4eb-df42-a1bf-efff07d40000) - [Nebraska.tv — Denise Powell flips Second Congressional District](https://nebraska.tv/news/local/denise-powell-flips-second-congressional-district) - [Rural Radio Network — Democrats flip Nebraska's Omaha-based congressional seat](https://ruralradio.com/maxcountry/news/democrats-flip-nebraskas-omaha-based-congressional-seat/) - [The Hill — Democrat Denise Powell projected to flip Nebraska's 2nd District](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6183175-democrat-denise-powell-nebraska-2nd-district/) - [Associated Press (via KSAT) — Denise Powell wins Democratic primary in Nebraska's 'blue dot' 2nd District](https://www.ksat.com/news/politics/2026/05/14/denise-powell-wins-democratic-primary-in-nebraskas-blue-dot-2nd-district/) - [Nebraska Examiner — Denise Powell wins Dem nomination in Nebraska's 2nd District](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/denise-powell-wins-dem-nomination-in-nebraskas-2nd-district/) - [Roll Call — Denise Powell wins Democratic primary for battleground Nebraska seat](https://rollcall.com/2026/05/14/denise-powell-wins-democratic-primary-for-battleground-nebraska-seat/) - [Nebraska Public Media — Democratic candidate announces run for Congress](https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/democratic-candidate-announces-run-for-congress/) - [KMTV 3 News Now — Omaha political organizer steps into CD2 race as a candidate](https://3newsnow.com/news/local-news/omaha-political-organizer-steps-into-cd2-race-as-a-candidate) - [Katie Couric Media — Denise Powell could make history in Nebraska](https://katiecouric.com/?p=279824) - [FEC — Congressional Leadership Fund 48-hour independent-expenditure notice](https://docquery.fec.gov/dcdev/posted/2016529.fec)