Nebraska is one of only two states that divides its electors between the overall state and the winner of a congressional district, and in 2020, Joe Biden’s election in the Omaha area will lead to more electors from red states. They were able to steal votes. But Gov. Jim Pillen (R) and President Trump on Tuesday backed a proposal to return the state to a winner-take-all system, potentially upending the Legislature’s April 18 end date.
Sen. John Kavanaugh (D) of Nebraska, who represents Omaha, said Democrats are preparing to attach the bill to “any particular vehicle,” erecting “procedural bars” and blocking the filibuster. He said he is preparing for the possibility. .
Proposal Sponsor said he didn’t have the votes It had to get through a filibuster, but Trump’s 11th-hour intervention has fueled speculation that Republicans could rally.
“At the end of the day, the Nebraska Legislature does not legislate in response to anyone’s tweets,” Kavanaugh said. He added that Democrats are “adamant in favor of keeping the electorate divided.” It’s part of what makes Nebraska special. ”
The bill’s sponsor, Nebraska Sen. Lauren Lippincott (R), said in a statement that there are only six “business days” left in the session and two days left before the bill is scheduled for floor consideration. He pointed out that there was only one left.
“My staff and I are working hard to explore options to get this across the finish line,” Lippincott said. “But the harsh reality of a two-day period has its limits.”
Each electoral vote in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District has become increasingly important to Democrats after recent redistricting has reduced the weight of these states in the electoral college. Because we can no longer rely on the “blue wall” trifecta of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Maine is the only state where all electors are not awarded to the winner of the statewide vote.
President Trump’s endorsement of the proposal comes hours after prominent ally Charlie Kirk used a massive social media mobilization to pressure Pillen and state lawmakers to advance the bill. That was it. Piren issued a statement of support within hours.
The Trump campaign considered the possibility of delaying the bill several weeks ago and concluded there were significant obstacles, according to a person familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal campaign efforts. It is said that he was But President Trump decided to press ahead with the shift after seeing the governor’s statement Tuesday night after the Wisconsin event, which appeared to be inspired by Kirk’s social media posts.
Nebraska has a unicameral legislature with 49 members, known as senators, in one officially nonpartisan chamber. The majority is made up of registered Republicans, but as of Tuesday they were unable to get a filibuster.
There were 16 Democrats, including Megan Hunt, an independent from Omaha and a former Democrat. It takes 33 votes to break a filibuster, so if all 16 Democrats and Hunt join together, they could form a firewall against bills they oppose.
Democratic Rep. Mike McDonnell announced his switch to the Republican Party on Wednesday, breaking the Democratic firewall and sending shockwaves through Congress.But McDonnell told Politico He will continue to oppose any proposed changes to the electoral voting system.
Still, Mr. McDonnell’s switch raised Republican expectations for a proposal supported by Mr. Trump. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) said in a statement that the timing of the party switch is “a perfect opportunity to mobilize the Republican majority into a winner-take-all system.”
Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman Jane Cleave said Wednesday morning that Democrats believe a vote is “unrealistic” at this point, but it is. We are monitoring the situation closely.
“Charlie Kirk is clearly not an idiot and sent that tweet for a reason,” Cleave said. “We are on guard. We have 17 votes.”
Still, it’s not clear that all Republicans want to prioritize this bill. The bill stalled in committee and appeared dead until Tuesday.
“Until yesterday, this issue hadn’t been discussed at all, and then all of a sudden it exploded,” said Gavin Geis, executive director of Common Cause Nebraska. He will take a stance.”
Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, said Tuesday morning. He appealed to his approximately 3 million followers on X. Call Mr. Pillen and state legislators to urge support for the proposal. Kirk called on Nebraskans to “demand that our state stop giving unnecessary power to our political opponents.”
Within hours, Pillen issued a statement saying he was a “strong supporter” of the bill and “has been since the beginning.” He called on Republicans in Congress to send the document to his desk.
President Trump quickly responded on his Truth Social platform, sharing Piren’s statement and calling it a “very sensible letter.” In a second post, President Trump thanked Pillen for his “bold leadership,” said he hoped Congress would “do the right thing,” and urged Nebraskans to call their representatives. .
Kirk is planning a rally in Omaha on Tuesday to continue pushing for change.
