# PAC spending dominates heated Nebraska 2nd District Democratic primary  
**Published:** 2026-05-11T19:28:01.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/outside-spending-reaches-fever-pitch-in-ne-02-dem-primary-as-candidates-spar-over-dark-money/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/pac-spending-dominates-heated-nebraska-2nd-district-democratic-primary

Millions of dollars in outside political spending have flooded Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary ahead of Tuesday's vote, transforming what would typically be a routine race into a contentious battle over the state's influence in presidential elections. [According to the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/outside-spending-reaches-fever-pitch-in-ne-02-dem-primary-as-candidates-spar-over-dark-money/), the primary has attracted more than $5.6 million in outside ad spending, mostly from political action committees supporting state Sen. John Cavanaugh's main rival, political organizer Denise Powell, while simultaneously attacking Cavanaugh.

[The race intensified after Republican Rep. Don Bacon, a retired Air Force general with an independent streak, announced his retirement](https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/nebraska-house/don-bacons-retirement-moves-nebraskas-2nd-district-lean-democrat), leaving the Omaha-area district wide open. Bacon had represented the district since 2016 and remained one of the few Republicans representing territory that favored Democratic presidential candidates, making the seat a prime target for Democrats seeking to retake Congress.

The flood of PAC money largely centers on a specific concern: whether Cavanaugh's departure from the state Legislature would weaken Democratic influence there. Powell and allied outside groups argue that if Cavanaugh wins the Democratic nomination and then the general election, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen would appoint a Republican to fill his state Senate seat, giving Republicans a supermajority. That supermajority, they warn, could change how Nebraska awards its presidential electoral votes — a unique system that has allowed the 2nd District to give its electoral vote to Democratic presidential candidates in three of the past five elections, earning it the nickname the "blue dot."

[Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball now rank the district as leaning Democratic](https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/nebraska-house/don-bacons-retirement-moves-nebraskas-2nd-district-lean-democrat), a significant shift from its competitive status when Bacon was the incumbent. The district includes Omaha, a major concentration of Democratic voters, along with rural and suburban areas.

The spending operation reflects the race's complexity. Fight for Nebraska PAC, the largest spender, has invested more than $1.2 million on ads supporting Powell and $653,000 attacking Cavanaugh since its creation in March. A secondary tier of PACs — including The Way Back PAC and The Bench PAC — funnel money to Fight for Nebraska, with donations also coming from 501(c)(4) nonprofits that do not disclose their donors. Cavanaugh's campaign has criticized this funding structure as "dark money" orchestrating attacks from the shadows.

Cavanaugh has countered by calling Powell "Dark Money Denise," arguing she built her career as a political operative "orchestrating secret donations from special interests and billionaires." Republican groups have also attacked Cavanaugh, with the center-right American Action Network spending roughly $100,000 on ads linking him to President Donald Trump, according to Google's ad transparency center.

The two candidates represent different visions of Democratic strategy. Cavanaugh, who comes from a prominent Democratic political family, emphasizes pushing back against the Trump administration. Powell, who co-founded Women Run Nebraska, portrays herself as a pragmatist capable of appealing to the district's independent voters and Republicans dissatisfied with Trump.

Three other Democrats are also competing in the race: Crystal Rhoades, the Douglas County District Court clerk; Navy veteran Kishla Askins; and two lesser-known candidates. Rhoades has secured backing from Omaha Mayor John Ewing, while Askins has garnered endorsements from labor unions and progressive groups.

The winner will face Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member who ran unopposed in the GOP primary and has received an endorsement from President Trump.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/outside-spending-reaches-fever-pitch-in-ne-02-dem-primary-as-candidates-spar-over-dark-money/)
- [Cook Political Report analysis of Don Bacon's retirement and district competitiveness](https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/nebraska-house/don-bacons-retirement-moves-nebraskas-2nd-district-lean-democrat)

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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/2026/05/11/outside-spending-reaches-fever-pitch-in-ne-02-dem-primary-as-candidates-spar-over-dark-money/.