OMAHA — Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the case for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District Democratic nominee Denise Powell on Tuesday, saying she could “deliver a future that is better.”
Powell is facing Republican nominee Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding to represent the slightly right-leaning swing district. The seat is open after the announcement by Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon that he plans to retire. Powell is trying to achieve what local, state and national Democrats have been attempting to do for about a decade — to win in the Omaha area.
Buttigieg’s visit is among the first high-profile visits by politicians typically seen in the 2nd District during election years. House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced plans to visit Omaha to campaign with Harding later this week.
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Powell and Buttigieg spoke to a crowd of roughly 500 people at Metro Community College about the importance of the midterm elections and this race. Powell used the event to “reintroduce” herself — referencing the ads Republicans and opponents ran during the Democratic primary.
Powell brought up her background working behind the scenes of state politics as co-founder of a group that coached local women to run for office and helped with recent Nebraska ballot initiatives. One, a push to codify abortion rights, failed, while the other, to repeal a publicly funded voucher program for private K-12 schools, succeeded.
“I watched as this administration put its little fingers into the cracks of a system … that you and I know is flawed,” Powell said. “Over the past 14 months, there has not been a day that goes by that I don’t hear a story from someone that reminds me why I’m in this race.”
Powell attacked Harding, saying he will try to convince voters in the district that he is a different kind of Republican but that he has embraced the “MAGA label,” pointing to Trump’s endorsement of Harding.
Buttigieg told the crowd, “There’s no going back to the old status quo, nor should we try”
“Obviously, the current cruelty and chaos can’t get us where we need to be as a country, but neither can the old politics as usual,” Buttigieg said. “We got to have leaders who are ready to deliver a future that is better, not just better than now, but better than before.”
Buttigieg, who served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under former President Joe Biden, said he traveled to Omaha because Powell is such a leader and said that the district “can do better” than Harding. He told the press after the event that Powell “is speaking to where the majority” of the 2nd district is and Harding would be a “rubber stamp” for Trump.
Buttigieg has traveled to Iowa, New Hampshire, Arkansas and Montana this year, prompting speculation that he may be one of the Democrats considering a 2028 presidential bid.
Some in the crowd chanted “President Pete,” and someone screamed for him to run for president again. When asked about his 2028 plans, Buttigieg told the Examiner his “focus is on making sure we have great candidates” in 2026.
Harding’s spokesperson said in a statement, “It’s no surprise to see Dark Money Denise bringing in failed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as her surrogate for the General Election.”
“Make no mistake, campaigns in NE-02 are won by earning the trust of Nebraska voters and building a broad local grassroots coalition, exactly what Brinker Harding has done from the very beginning. While Denise depends on out-of-state donors and foreign billionaire-funded groups, the spokesperson said, “Brinker is focused on delivering commonsense solutions that make life more affordable, keep our communities safe, and hold the political class accountable.”
The 2nd District includes all of Douglas and Saunders Counties and a significant slice of western suburban and rural Sarpy County. The district includes the state’s largest concentration of Democrats and was redistricted to include a larger swath of Republican-leaning rural voters in Wahoo and surrounding areas. The district, like other cycles, is viewed by election analysts as a top pick-up opportunity for Democrats in the U.S House.
Libertarian Eric Michael Foreman is also running for the 2nd District seat. There is a nonpartisan candidate, Christopher J. Feuerbach, trying to get on the ballot for the race, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
The general election is Nov. 3.
This story is provided by States Newsroom, a nonprofit state news network and Blox Digital content partner.
