LINCOLN — If you paid attention to Nebraska politics this past weekend you saw a sight not often seen in the Cornhusker state.
The second congressional district getting all of the love and attention usually reserved for swing states.
“I have to tell you, I think all of you know this. This thing is gonna be close", said Democrat Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz at a rally on Saturday,
Over this past summer we have seen the Trump and Harris campaigns employ very different strategies to earn CD2’s electoral vote.
For Republicans the battle over CD2 started to heat up back in April, when podcaster Charlie Kirk first called on lawmakers to change Nebraska to a Winner Take All system.
That effort pushed by Former President Trump and his surrogates like Lindsey Graham ultimately failed.
But it was still at the top of many Trump supporters' minds at a rally hosted by RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard on Saturday.
“In Nebraska it was possible for me to win one electoral vote here in Omaha, and that could’ve been a critical vote,” said former presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr.
While Republicans spent most of the summer strategizing ways to return Nebraska to Winner Take All Democrats have been pushing a consistent ground game with events across the second district.
Not including weekly phone banking and vote canvassing events the Harris campaign has hosted dozens of in-person campaign events with supporters and surrogates including famous faces like Connie Britton and Bill Nye as well as well known Democrats like Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and DNC Chair Jamie Harrison.
Its far more in-person campaigning than we saw in 2020 during the pandemic and unlike 2020, a member of the Democrat ticket has already made multiple stops in CD2.
“This race is tied. A lot of people say the race is tied. Whether they believe it or not it’s tied. In Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin it’s gonna come down to people getting their friends and neighbors out to vote,” said Colorado Senator Michael Bennet while campaigning for Harris in Omaha.
In the final weeks before the election though the on-the-ground presence by Republicans has ramped up significantly.
In recent weeks Trump has hosted tele-fundraisers, JD Vance has stopped by for a private fundraiser and surrogates like RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, and Senator Joni Ernst have made in-person visits to stump for Trump.
But the public hasn’t seen either Republican candidate yet, despite Trump making stops in Omaha in 2020, Ashland in 2022 and Council Bluffs in 2023.
We reached out to Trump’s Omaha Campaign manager Liz Huston to see if there were any plans for Trump or Vance to rally in CD2 but haven’t received a response.
But if the Trump event on Saturday is any indication, Trump is paying very close attention to CD2.
“You could be that swing district that will either save our country or continue us down this path towards darkness and destruction,” said former Hawaii Congressional Representative Tulsi Gabbard.
