Nebraska Public Media hosting 2nd District debate Oct. 14

Nebraska Public Media, in partnership with the Omaha World-Herald, will host a 2nd District Congressional debate Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. Central time.

The debate, between Republican Brinker Harding and Democrat Denise Powell, will take place in Nebraska Public Media’s Ron Hull television studio and will be broadcast live on television, radio and digital platforms.

Aaron Sanderford, managing editor of the Omaha World-Herald, and Jackie Ourada, managing editor of Nebraska Public Media News, will moderate the 60-minute debate and will ask questions on a variety of topics.

The 2nd District encompasses all of Douglas and Saunders counties and the western part of Sarpy County. It is often referred to as the “Blue Dot” because a majority of voters supported the Democratic presidential nominee In 2008, 2020 and 2024, providing one of Nebraska’s five electoral votes to those nominees. At the same time, however, voters have elected a Republican to the House of Representatives in every election but one since 1994.

The district has attracted national attention from both parties during this year’s midterm elections as Democrats seek to flip the House. C-SPAN has agreed to broadcast the debate to a national audience.

Harding and Powell are vying along with Libertarian candidate Eric Foreman to replace Republican Don Bacon, who chose not to run for reelection after serving.

Harding has been on the Omaha City Council since 2017. Before being elected to the council, he served as chief of staff and economic development director for former Mayor Hal Daub.

Powell has worked as a communications and public relations executive at a variety of companies in Nebraska and elsewhere. She co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a nonprofit that recruits and supports women who run for public office across the state, in 2017.