# Final ballot count in Nebraska's 2nd District confirms Powell's primary win  
**Published:** 2026-05-15T17:43:55.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/15/douglas-county-counts-last-early-ballots-powell-still-wins-ne-02/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/final-ballot-count-in-nebraska-s-2nd-district-confirms-powell-s-primary-win

OMAHA — Douglas County finished counting the final early ballots Friday, confirming the Democratic primary victory of Denise Powell in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, according to a report from the [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/15/douglas-county-counts-last-early-ballots-powell-still-wins-ne-02/).

[Powell defeated State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/denise-powell-wins-dem-nomination-in-nebraskas-2nd-district/) in one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries in the country. The completion of counting 9,712 early ballots cast Monday afternoon and on Election Day extended Powell's overall lead to 1,345 votes. She now faces [Republican nominee Brinker Harding](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/nebraska-us-house-district-2-results), an Omaha city councilman who ran unopposed in the GOP primary and has the backing of President Trump.

[The Omaha-area district, known as the "blue dot" because it voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nebraska-district-2-results-denise-powell/), is considered a prime Democratic pickup opportunity. [The race is closely watched because the ultimate winner could help decide which party controls the narrowly divided U.S. House](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/13/g-s1-121987/denise-powell-democrat-wins-nebraska-second-congressional-district) after this year's midterm elections.

Democrats outnumbered Republicans nearly 2-to-1 among the 9,712 ballots counted Friday, with nonpartisans making up 1,768 of them. No results flipped despite the ballot count, though margins shifted in various races up and down the ballot. Powell extended her Douglas County lead by 265 votes on Friday and now advances to the November general election.

"I'm incredibly honored to be the Democratic nominee in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District," Powell said in a statement. "Thank you to my family and friends, my team, and to every candidate who ran – It takes guts to step into the arena, and you have my respect for your willingness to show up and serve."

Cavanaugh conceded after the votes were posted, saying he had called Powell to congratulate her. [The Democratic primary drew over $5.6 million in outside spending](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nebraska-district-2-results-denise-powell/) as Powell and Cavanaugh battled for the nomination. Much of the campaign focused on concerns among some Nebraska Democrats that Cavanaugh's election to Congress and subsequent resignation from the state legislature could trigger Republican efforts to change the state's electoral vote allocation system.

Friday's counted votes also benefited Democratic candidates in multiple competitive state legislative races in the Omaha area. Several races showed narrowed Republican leads or extended Democratic advantages, though none of the results changed.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/15/douglas-county-counts-last-early-ballots-powell-still-wins-ne-02/)
- [Nebraska Examiner - Denise Powell wins Dem nomination in Nebraska's 2nd District](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/13/denise-powell-wins-dem-nomination-in-nebraskas-2nd-district/)
- [CBS News - Denise Powell projected to win Democratic primary in key Nebraska district](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nebraska-district-2-results-denise-powell/)
- [NPR - Denise Powell wins Democratic primary for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/13/g-s1-121987/denise-powell-democrat-wins-nebraska-second-congressional-district)
- [NBC News - Nebraska House District 2 Primary Election Results 2026](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/nebraska-us-house-district-2-results)

---

This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/15/douglas-county-counts-last-early-ballots-powell-still-wins-ne-02/.