‘This is our year,’ says Democrat looking to flip Don Bacon’s Nebraska district

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Welcome back with less than 6 months to go to the midterms. Today, we've got a new installment in our Meet the Candidate series. We want to zoom into what will be one of the most closely watched races this November. It's in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District and it could be key to deciding which party controls the House next year. The district, which has become known as Nebraska's blue dot, voted for both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden for president, but is represented in Congress by a Republican retiring Congressman Don Bacon. It's one of only three districts in the country where a Republican won re-election in 2024 while also going for Harris. And Democrats are eyeing it as one of their top pick-up opportunities. Political organizer and business owner Denise Powell won a crowded Democratic primary earlier this month, narrowly beating out State Senator John Cavanaugh, who was backed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

[00:00:54]And joining me now is Denise Powell, the Democratic candidate in Nebraska 2.

[00:00:58]Thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it.

[00:01:02]Oh, I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me. Well, we are excited to have you here and I want to talk to you about how you view this path to victory in November. You have said you're focused on affordability and quote pissed off mom ads helped you win the Democratic primary. What is your strategy for winning in November?

[00:01:24]You know, we have such an incredible opportunity here in Nebraska 2. This is a district that we know can be won. It is now a lean Democrat seat. Don Bacon is retiring. It's an open seat. And the key to a district like ours is that we don't win with just Democrats. We need all of our Democrats, but we need all of our independents. We need those Republicans who are not happy with what is happening right now. And I hear from them every day. Hearing from people all across this district, whether it's veterans or families or farmers or seniors who are really struggling and they don't see any help coming down from DC. They don't think politicians are showing up for them in this moment. And um that's why I'm excited to be in this race. I, you know, tell people I'm not a politician. I am a fired up mom. Um I hear every day. And I want to serve this community. I love Nebraska. We have such a great opportunity to do big things in this state this cycle. And I think this is our year. Well, I want to follow up with you on something that you said because the district has been represented by Don Bacon. He's of course shown a real willingness at times to disagree with or break with President Trump. How do you win over his voters in order to flip this seat if you think that's what's necessary?

[00:02:39]Yeah, people in this district appreciate common sense. I mean, Nebraskans are pragmatic people. And I think that's one of the things that Congressman Bacon, you know, got right. He We don't agree on many things, but he was willing to push back on Trump when he needed to be pushed back on. And I hear from um House Democrats that he was somebody who often was willing to come to the table and meet. And that's the same kind of approach that I want to take. Um not just as I'm out campaigning and talking to people, you know, of all stars and stripes about what matters to them. But that's how I want to show up in DC.

[00:03:13]Um this state and this district in particular are really diverse. We have the most urban um population in the state here. We have rural communities.

[00:03:21]We have suburban communities. Uh and it takes being really intentional and um making sure that we're singing from the same song sheet here. Nebraskans need us to address this affordability crisis.

[00:03:32]They need us to address this health care crisis. They need to know that someone in DC is showing up for them and not playing political party games. Let me ask you, broadly speaking, about the number one issue for voters, which is the economy, as you've been referencing.

[00:03:46]Polling suggests the president and Republicans are losing ground with voters on the economy. But if you take a look at this poll, you can see that Democrats aren't doing much better. What do you think Democrats need to do to convince voters that they have the better plan on the economy?

[00:04:04]I think we need to get some wins on the board. Um and I think this is absolutely right. I mean, I've spent the last 10 years, you know, going all over the state and knocking on doors, thousands and thousands of doors all over. And I've been talking to people for a long time who've been struggling. And again, they don't necessarily believe that the government is doing anything to make their lives easier. So, I think there really has to be a focus on serving the community right now. We know that some of these issues, like solving this healthcare crisis, they're going to take time.

[00:04:36]Um time and a lot of bipartisan support and a willingness to understand that the system hasn't always worked for everybody. But, we need to serve people in the immediate because right now I'm talking to families who don't know that they're going to make it to the end of the month. I'm talking to farmers who don't know if they're going to make it to the end of the season. Veterans who don't have a place to go right now for healthcare. Seniors who are bagging groceries to pay for their prescription drugs, and they don't have time to wait.

[00:04:59]So, I think we really need to put our money where our mouth is. We need to win these seats, and then we need to get in there, and we need to start making some good change for people really quickly.

[00:05:08]And you have said that you would be the first Latina to serve in the federal delegation in Nebraska. We saw Latino voters shift toward President Trump in the last election. Do you think that Democrats across the country are doing enough to win back Latino voters? And what is your message there about that?

[00:05:28]Yeah, I can speak to Nebraska. I think that we're doing a lot here in Nebraska.

[00:05:32]I'm also really proud to be endorsed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Bold PAC, uh the Latino Victory Fund.

[00:05:38]These are organizations that are investing a lot of time and resources in getting Latinos to come out to vote. I'm endorsed by the Nebraska Latino Caucus, and boy, those guys are working so so hard to make sure that everybody in our community knows how critical this election is.

[00:05:52]Um you just talked in your earlier segment about immigration, and I think that's an issue that's really important to a lot of our families here, and one that's really going to be driving people to the polls come November.

[00:06:02]You know, you won your primary over a more progressive candidate who was backed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and I wonder if you think a more moderate message is going to be the key to winning back the House and the Senate in 2026 and in the White House in 2028 for Democrats.

[00:06:22]You know, I don't know if it's a more moderate message or just this idea that, you know, some of the ideas that we have that some might label progressive are really just common sense ideas. I mean, the idea that you should be able to go see a doctor when you're sick, and that shouldn't put you into bankruptcy, is not a crazy idea. And I think most people will agree with that. Um I think the idea that you should be able to afford your groceries, that if you're working a full-time job, you should be able to make ends meet. Um these are not wild ideas, and I think the key is just listening, listening to folks and showing them that we are invested in the right things, the things that really really matter. All right, Denise Powell, thank you so much for being here. Best of luck to you. We thank you for watching, and remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app, or watch live on our YouTube channel.