Nebraska GOP lawmaker: Other states should shift to our electoral college system

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said on Tuesday that other states should shift to Nebraska’s electoral system, but since they likely won’t, the Cornhusker State should look to alter its system to a winner-take-all one after the U.S. 2024 presidential election. 

“Well, I think two things can be true. On one hand, I think we'd be better off if every state does what we do in Nebraska. What it would do is incentivize candidates to campaign in more states and all over our country,” Bacon said during his Tuesday appearance on NewsNation’s show “The Hill.” 

“I think if every state did it, it would be good,” he continued. “The problem is, we're one of two states who don't, and it creates a lot of problems in Omaha on my side of the ticket ... I think we should probably do it after the election and get it right and go back to winner-take-all like 48 other states do. Now, if we had a plan to get all 50 states to go by district, that would be a good thing. I think it would be better. But we're only one of two states.” 

Nebraska carries five Electoral College votes. Two votes go to the winner of the popular vote in the state. Three others are divided between the state's congressional districts and are awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each of those districts. Maine is the only other state that similarly allocates Electoral College votes. 

Bacon’s remarks came after Nebraska’s Gov. Jim Pillen (R) said earlier on Tuesday that he would not be calling a special legislative session to discuss switching Nebraska’s system to winner-take-all. Pillen’s statement regarding the matter came after a key Republican state lawmaker refused to back the push for a change. 

“Senator Mike McDonnell of Omaha has confirmed he is unwilling to vote for winner-takes-it-all before the 2024 election,” Pillen wrote in the statement. “That is profoundly disappointing to me and the many others who have worked so earnestly to ensure all Nebraskans’ votes are sought after equally this election.”

GOP lawmakers on the local and national levels have reneged in an effort to change the way the state dispenses Electoral College votes to a winner-take-all system.

Republicans' push to alter the electoral system would aid the party by eliminating the Electoral College vote from Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, which has gone to Democratic White House candidates multiple times. 

“What we have right now is Vice President Harris has already spent $6 million in our district. Former President Trump has spent zero,” Bacon said on Tuesday. “It just throws everything off in our district. It's not a one-for-one, Republican versus Democrat in our district. If every state did this, it would be diffused.” 

Bacon, who won reelection in 2022 by less than 3 percentage points, represents a district that President Biden won in 2020. The four-term lawmaker is running against State Sen. Tony Vargas (D), who he defeated in 2022. 

The spending gap between presidential candidates in the district “causes permutations all the way down the ticket. We probably lose a lot of Republicans that you otherwise wouldn't lose. So put yourself in our shoes. Would you like having six to ten million dumped on the other side? The other side loves it and of course they would,” Bacon said, adding that “to me, that's a concern.”

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