OMAHA — Two political matchups in Nebraska will likely get national attention as both could help determine which party controls what parts of Congress after the 2026 midterm elections.

One is the U.S. House race in Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. The seat is typically a target of both national parties, as one of the rare remaining swing districts that has stayed politically split.

The seat may be more of a target now, since U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., decided not to seek reelection. Several Democrats jumped into the race, creating a politically diverse and competitive primary race.

A first-time federal candidate is leading the Democratic pack in terms of fundraising as more politically established candidates are lagging behind.

2nd District Fundraising

New federal campaign finance filings show congressional candidate newcomer and business owner Denise Powell led the way, raising $429,739 in the second quarter. Powell has connections to some of local Democrats’ top donors. Much of her political team has ties to former State Sen. Tony Vargas’ 2024 House bid.

While money isn’t the be-all in politics, it can provide a glimpse of the initial support and the viability of a candidate. Powell said, “It’s clear that people are tired of lip service from politicians.”

Instead, she said, people are “ready for someone who is ready to go to Washington to put our communities first.” She called her bid an “opportunity to send a champion for hardworking Nebraskans to Congress who will finally put a stop to the chaos of the Trump administration.”

State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, the other high-profile candidate who has been in the Democratic primary since early June, raised the second most. The state lawmaker, with his own list of donors, raised $130,341 over the same span.

Ethan Dunn, a Cavanaugh campaign spokesperson, said the senator “continues to hear from voters across [district] that they know he will be the voice of reason amongst the Trump chaos.”

“The plan that John has to win the nomination is on track, and we are confident John’s message voters will resonate with the voters,” Dunn said.

Powell’s campaign lists having more campaign cash on hand than Cavanaugh – with $340,121 compared to the state senator’s $127,122.

A third high-profile Democrat in the race, Douglas County District Court Clerk Crystal Rhoades, announced her bid Monday and just started fundraising. The same can be said of Navy veteran Kishla Askins, who joined the race last week, after the fundraising quarter ended in late June. 

Another Democrat running, Mark Johnston, reported raising $6,976.58 and listed $1,628.31 in cash on hand. Evangelos Argyrakis hadn’t yet filed campaign finance forms for his Democratic bid. Federal law requires candidates to file campaign finance paperwork quarterly with the Federal Election Commission unless they have not yet raised or spent $5,000.

The two highest-profile announced Republican candidates in Nebraska’s 2nd District, Omaha City Council, Vice President Brinker Harding and former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, entered the race this month, after the fundraising quarter ended. Neither had filed FEC reports.

However, Harding’s campaign has said it had raised $222,000 in the first two days after announcing his bid. Lindstrom’s team said the former senator raised $250,000 in his campaign’s first week.

National political observers view the Omaha-area House seat as a possible pickup for Democrats, although the district retains a slight GOP lean. The 2nd District includes all of Douglas and Saunders Counties, as well as western Sarpy County.

Senate Race Tallies

Nebraska’s other federal race that could garner national attention is the bid by former Omaha labor leader Dan Osborn to unseat U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.

Osborn made national headlines in 2024 for turning an expected safe race for Republicans into a potential upset bid against U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.  He outraised Fischer in 2024, according to OpenSecrets.org, which tracks federal fundraising. He raised $14 million, including some late money from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

For Nebraska’s 2026 Senate race, Osborn has reported raising $196,541 since his July announcement, according to his latest filing. He listed having $124,202 in cash on hand.

As expected, Ricketts, a former two-term governor, significantly outraised him. His campaign raised $901,113 and his separate Pete Ricketts Victory Fund raised $1.2 million. His victory fund is can be used for multiple races, political parties and causes.

Ricketts has a combined war chest of about $1.5 million. Ricketts, who had to run in a 2024 special election to finish the last two years of former Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s term, raised $5.8 million against Preston Love Jr., records show.

Ricketts also has used his own money to influence Nebraska politics. He retains the state’s dominant political operation.

Osborn, who has proven himself a prolific fundraiser, has tried to frame his race against the millionaire Ricketts as “the billionaire versus the mechanic.”

Will Coup, a Ricketts campaign spokesperson, pointed to Osborn’s use of ActBlue, a fundraising tool used often by Democrats, as evidence of a nonpartisan bid Senate bid with Democratic help.

“Dan Osborn’s ActBlue page makes it easy for his liberal, out-of-state donors to support him, AOC and Kamala Harris without having to switch [browser] tabs,” Coup said.

Osborn has said previously that he maintains independence from the Democratic Party and that he would not caucus with either party.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/07/22/money-starts-pouring-into-nebras...