Democratic candidate announces run for Congress

A Democratic candidate has announced a campaign to run for Nebraska’s second congressional district, a position currently held by Republican Don Bacon.

Denise Powell of Omaha is seeking to flip the traditionally purple district, where Bacon has served since 2017. Previous elections showed a tight race between Bacon and his Democratic opponent, with the last election against Democrat Tony Vargas, Bacon won with 50.9% of votes in the three-county district.

Powell co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, an organization that motivates more women to run for office.

"We don’t need lip service from politicians, we need action," Powell said in a statement on her website. "Now is the time to be brave and demand better for our state."

Incumbent Bacon said he is unsure at this point whether he will run again in 2026, as he is considering his growing family and their needs.