OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Nebraska’s second congressional district map is different, but Republican incumbent Don Bacon will once again represent the district.
Bacon defeated Democratic challenger Tony Vargas, according to AP.
He held 52% of the vote as of 5:30 a.m. Vargas was 4 points behind with 48%.
Vargas conceded early Wednesday and said the following in a statement:
“Thank you to the tens of thousands of people who believed in me, supported my campaign and voted for my vision for this district. This campaign has always been about giving a voice to working families and uniting our community. Throughout my career, I’ve worked across the aisle to help parents, seniors, and students, and I will continue that fight in the legislature.
I am the son of immigrants who came here with nothing and sacrificed so much for our family. My parents worked hard so my brothers and I could get an education and decide what we wanted for our lives. That’s why I work as hard as I possibly can, every day, so that people can have that same opportunity. I know the challenges facing Nebraskans right now because I’ve lived them – the difficulty to find affordable housing, to pay for groceries, gas, childcare, and medical bills. And while this wasn’t the outcome we’d hoped for, our work is not going to stop tonight. I will continue to serve.”
It’s a key win for Republicans in a race that was considered by some analysts to be a toss-up.
Though held by Bacon and Republicans since the 2016 election, it’s not easy. Joe Biden won an electoral vote here in 2020, but Bacon significantly outperformed Donald Trump.
Each of Bacon’s prior elections has been relatively tight. He defeated Democratic incumbent Brad Ashford by 1.2 points in 2016, and progressive Kara Eastman by 2 points in 2018 and 4.6 points in 2020.
Bacon campaigned on fighting inflation, being a consensus builder in congress, and being tough on crime and supporting police.
Money flowed into the race on both sides. Republicans painted Vargas as a radical liberal on taxes and crime. Democrats, in attack ads, focused on abortion and other health care issues.
Vargas ran on a platform focusing on healthcare and abortion access.
Bacon repeatedly called out Vargas for not accepting a debate invitation from 3 News Now. They debated twice, but prior elections had three debates.
It’s the first time Bacon was on the ballot for some, including all of Saunders County, after the map was redrawn after the 2020 census. Others, including urban areas of Sarpy County, are no longer in the district. But the redrawn district was considered similar to the prior one in favorability to either party.
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