Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and Nebraska Democratic officials are keeping a close eye on any last-minute efforts to change the election law that awards the state’s electoral votes by congressional district, rather than statewide winner.
Nebraska’s unique law presents an opportunity for Democrats to secure one of the state’s votes by winning the district surrounding Omaha — a critical blue dot in a sea of red.
The state’s Republican Gov. Jim Pillen made it clear Friday that he is willing to call a special legislative session on changing the state to a “winner takes all” model before the November election — but said in a statement that he doesn’t yet have “concrete and public indication” that enough lawmakers would back the move.
Nebraska Democratic chairwoman Jane Kleeb said Saturday that Pillen’s statement signals Republicans “do not have the votes to change the fair electoral system we have in Nebraska.”
“Both Trump and Harris have the ability to compete for Nebraskans’ votes,” Kleeb told CNN. “Democrats take our responsibilities seriously and are spending our time knocking doors, calling voters and putting out yard signs rather than wasting our time bullying elected officials, which is all the Republicans seem to be doing these days.”
When the matter of changing the law came up for a vote in the state legislature earlier this year, it was 17 votes shy of passing. Kleeb said Saturday that those 17 votes remain “very solid.”
Why this is so important: If Vice President Kamala Harris can win the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, plus the blue dot vote in Nebraska, she can likely reach 270 electoral votes without winning a single other contested battleground state.
Prominent GOP backer: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who has led a rallying cry in favor of changing the election law, is returning to the state Saturday to appear at a GOP tailgate party before a Nebraska football game.
Kleeb dismissed Kirk’s involvement in the state as “bullying and bluster.”
