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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Democratic primary for Nebraska's 'blue dot' US House seat is too early to call

Powell led John Cavanaugh as votes were counted in the closely watched Democratic primary.

Democratic primary for Nebraska's 'blue dot' US House seat is too early to call
Image · LancasterOnline

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Host credibilityLancasterOnline75/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 6, 2026

Credibility rates LancasterOnline, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished with credit

Republished from Associated Press, with credit to the original publisher.

Associated Press95/100 HIGH

347 stories · 94.5–95.2 · updated Oct 12, 2026

This is Associated Press's own score, and this article is credited to Associated Press. The host score in the Source Check is LancasterOnline's.

Republished by The News-Gazette

LancasterOnlinevia Associated Press
May 13, 2026
tl;dr

Denise Powell led John Cavanaugh by about two percentage points in Nebraska’s closely watched Democratic primary for the state’s “blue dot” House seat, but the race was too early to call. The report also covers primary results in Nebraska’s Senate and governor’s races.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Powell in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Powell’s record.

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Democratic candidate in the Nebraska 2nd District primary

PRIMARY SUBJECT

Democratic candidate in the Nebraska 2nd District primary

Cavanaugh's version of this story ↗
Don Bacon
R · NE-2

Retiring Republican representative whose seat is being contested

Pete Ricketts
R · NE · SEN

Republican senator who won his party’s primary

Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who endorsed Republican House candidate Brinkner Harding

Dan Osborn
I · NE

Independent Senate candidate expected to face Pete Ricketts

Benjamin Sasse
Former U.S. Senator (R-NE)

Former senator whom Pete Ricketts replaced

Deb Fischer
R · NE · SEN

Republican senator whom Dan Osborn challenged in 2024

Democratic Senate candidate who won her party’s primary and planned to support Dan Osborn

ALSO MENTIONED  Brinkner Harding, Republican candidate for the Nebraska 2nd District seat; Jim Pillen, Republican governor who won his party’s gubernatorial primary; Lynne Walz, Former state senator who won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination

Part of a bigger story

27 OUTLETS
John Cavanaugh Concedes Nebraska 2nd District Primary to Denise Powell

Outlets agree Denise Powell won the Democratic primary for Nebraska’s 2nd District, defeating John Cavanaugh, and will face Republican Brinker Harding. Center outlets focus on the result and the coming House race, with some also covering arguments about whether Cavanaugh’s candidacy could affect Nebraska’s split electoral-vote system. Right-leaning outlets describe the primary as contentious and recount competing claims from Powell and Cavanaugh, as well as statements in campaign ads.

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