Don Bacon

Bacon-themed products are on display in Rep. Don Bacon’s campaign office in Omaha, Neb., on Oct. 16, 2024.

Tony Vargas, a Democrat vying to become the state’s first Latino representative, lost to Don Bacon, the Republican incumbent, in 2022. But the presidential election could help him in his rematch.

The court's unanimous decision restores the right to vote for residents with felony criminal records upon completion of their sentence, impacting thousands.

Nebraska’s top election official had no authority to strip voting rights from people convicted of a felony, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a decision that could add hundreds of new voters to the rolls and potentially help tip the balance on Nov. 5.The order by Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen could have kept 7,000 or more Nebraskans from voting in the upcoming election, the American Civil Liberties Union has said. Many of them reside in Nebraska’s Omaha-centered 2nd Congressional District, where both the presidency and the makeup of Congress could be at stake.Evnen in July had ordered county election officials in Nebraska to reject the voter registrations of those with felony convictions, citing an opinion from the state attorney general. That opinion, which Evnen had requested, deemed as unconstitutional a law passed this year by the Legislature immediately restoring the voting rights of people who have completed the terms of their felony sentences.“Patty and Selma at the Department of Motor Vehicles may not be constitutional scholars, but they know that they are expected to follow the law,” Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman wrote in the high court's ruling, criticizing Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers for taking it upon themselves to declare the law unconstitutional. “Do we want to live in a world where every state employee who has a hunch a statute is flawed gets to ignore it?”

Less than a month before Election Day, 10 race rating changes help clarify the fights for control of the House and Senate.

The state Supreme Court ruled the secretary of state had no authority to declare unconstitutional a state law that restored the voting rights of those who have been convicted of a felony.

The state Supreme Court ruled the secretary of state had no authority to declare unconstitutional a state law that restored the voting rights of those who have been convicted of a felony.

This year, control of the House will be determined primarily by just 26 districts. And with 22 days to go until Nov. 5, neither party has a clear advantage.Republicans took control of the House in 2022, with the slimmest of majorities—though “control” may be overstating things. Their majority has seen constant chaos, including the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (after less than a year in leadership!), a dramatic battle to replace him, a failed impeachment of President Joe Biden, early retirements by frustrated members like Colorado Republican Ken Buck, and so much more.All of that has given Democrats confidence that they can take back the House this year—and race ratings by The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball suggest it’s possible. Overall, Democrats are favored in 202 districts and Republicans in 207, based on the median race rating between those three organizations. Race ratings are based on collections of polling, reporting, fundraising numbers, historical trends, and other data. The ratings generally break down into these categories: Solid Democratic or Republican, Likely Democratic or Republican, Lean Democratic or Republican, and Toss-up. (Inside Elections adds a “Tilt” rating, which lives between “Lean” and “Toss-up.” But for our purposes, that rating has been standardized to “Toss-up.”)That means control of the House will most likely be determined by 26 toss-up districts. And the polling in them holds some glimmers of hope for Democrats—who need to pick up only four seats to take back the House—as well as a few warnings.Here’s what you need to know. xDatawrapper Content

“The law was passed, it’s not going to go backward," GOP Rep. Don Bacon said.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon is running against Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas to represent Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District.

The election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball announced on Monday that it would be shifting Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-Neb.) race in Nebraska toward the Democrats. Kyle Kondik, the managing editor for Sabato’s Crystal Ball, part of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, shifted Bacon’s race in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District from “toss-up” to “leans [...]

Acknowledging he’s in a "dead heat" as he seeks a fifth term in the U.S. House, Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon on Monday welcomed the endorsement.

Gov. Jim Pillen tabbed another interim director to lead the state's environmental agency and named two new members to his cabinet Thursday.

On Wednesday, business owners and activists gathered at Vis Major to show support for a ballot initiative that would guarantee paid sick leave to all part-time, full-time and temporary employees in Nebraska.

Steve Kornacki digs into the latest NBC News Poll, which shows an "off the charts" gender gap between Vice President Harris and former President Trump. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) encourages the Trump campaign to try to win the Omaha congressional district after an attempt to change the way the way the state counts its electoral votes appears to stall. NBC News' Richard Lui sits down with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss whether Nebraska will change the way it allocates electoral votes before election day. Rep. Bacon also talks about his latest trip to Ukraine.

'I would say what he’s done is par for the course'

Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) move to bring a clean, short-term government funding stopgap — his plan B after his first gambit failed — is upsetting conservative House Republicans, who will be key in deciding the top lawmaker’s fate as GOP leader next year. The disappointment has, thus far, not bubbled up into a revolt, with [...]

City planners oppose a commercial development at 70th Street and Nebraska Parkway in part because it would allow access from Nebraska Parkway.

More than 60 organizations from across Nebraska have joined forces Wednesday to call for immigration reform as the state's unemployment rate remains low and its workforce ages.

Tweaking zoning ordinances to encourage local food production; all schools have Narcan; a new statue on the national historic register; and free passes for the bike share program.

Lincoln City Councilman Bennie Shobe announced he will run for a third term as an at-large council member.

In the midst of a pending lawsuit over remote work restrictions, the state's largest public workers union is preparing to begin negotiations on their next two-year contract.

Neighbors want to stop a resident flying his helicopter from his acreage near Davey, which he's been doing for nearly 40 years.

Speaker Mike Johnson said he is forging ahead with his plan on government funding despite the measure hemorrhaging GOP support.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., talks with Gen. Eric M. Smith, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, left, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Navy budget request, on May 1.

The City Council will vote next week on a $2 million project to build eight town homes in the Hawley Historic District, which was opposed by residents who created urban gardens.

More than a half dozen people — including Terri Cunningham-Swanson’s son — criticized her appointment to the Nebraska Library Commission during a public meeting Friday.

The U.S. House's November battlefield continues to take shape as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of Congress at the polls.

Walz’s sister, Sandy Dietrich, declined to comment on their distant cousins' opposition to her brother and referred to herself and her family as “Democrats for Tim.”

The nonpartisan group Cook Political Report has shifted half a dozen House races toward Democrats and two toward Republicans, as Democrats see their financial advantage and enthusiasm rise after Vice President Harris replaced President Biden at the top of the ticket. The changes do away with one toss-up race and add three new ones, for [...]

Rep. Angie Craig, in a competitive race to keep her House seat, believes Walz, as the VP nominee, can help her win reelection.

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon asserted Thursday he did nothing wrong in intervening to help former President Donald Trump’s media company obtain a hard-to-obtain foreign worker visa for a company executive.

Democrats in Congress are scrambling for ways to publicly dredge up as much information as possible about an altercation between Trump staffers and an Arlington National Cemetery official.Why it matters: The incident has been dogging the ex-president's candidacy this week, with one House Armed Services Committee member telling Axios he's trying to get his panel to formally investigate the matter.Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) said in a statement to Axios: "In the coming days, I'll be talking with my Congressional colleagues – especially military veterans, from both sides of the aisle – about the proper next steps to ensure oversight and accountability."Ryan, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, called Trump's behavior a "disgrace," adding, "This is sacred ground. We must not allow anyone to sully it with campaign theatrics."Zoom in: Several House Democrats also called for the cemetery to release its incident report about the altercation."As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I am troubled by the reporting and want to see the incident report," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a statement to Axios.Kaine's statement comes after Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), a senior House Oversight Committee member, urged the cemetery to "publicly release all that transpired" during the visit.The latest: A U.S. Army spokesperson said Thursday that an ANC employee was "abruptly pushed aside" Monday while trying to enforce a political activity ban that prohibits campaign photography on cemetery grounds.The Trump campaign told Axios' Mike Allen it is "weighing options" for releasing footage of the altercation after spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted what he described as "defamatory claims" about it.The cemetery said Wednesday that a "report was filed" on the incident, though the Army said the employee has declined to press charges.Catch up quick: Trump was visiting the cemetery to commemorate the third anniversary of the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at the invitation of families of several of the U.S. service members killed in the attack.The Trump campaign has insisted it was granted permission to have its photographer present at a section of the cemetery where recent U.S. casualties are buried.Zoom out: The incident has drawn widespread rebukes from Democratic lawmakers, with veterans in particular calling it out."Arlington is sacred ground and all visitors should take the time to learn the rules of decorum that ensure the proper respect is given to the fallen and their families," said Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), a Marine veteran in a seat Trump won in 2020.Connolly said releasing details of the incident would "ensure the ground in which our nation's heroes are buried is not being debased by a man who has no concept of service and sacrifice."The other side: Many Republicans, including some in tough reelection fights, are leaping to Trump's defense.Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a former Air Force brigadier general in a Biden 2020 district, told Axios: "The families appreciated Trump being there.""I know Arlington is sacred ground and care should be given to follow the rules. In this case, ill error on the side of the families who were devastated by Biden's withdrawal and the loss of their loved ones," he added.Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), an Army veteran who was present at the ceremony, said on Fox Business he has taken photos during previous visits to the cemetery, saying "this was apparently some rule buried somewhere that was selectively brought up."

Nebraska's congressional delegation offered a gloomy assessment of the state's economic outlook Thursday at an annual gathering of business, agricultural and government leaders.

A former GOP aide says she intervened on company's behalf even though she thought it was inappropriate

The Trump campaign gave journalists a letter it published on X and sent to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz blasting him over claims of stolen valor.

"I have to admit it feels pretty good to be back home," Tim Walz said as he took the stage Saturday in his visit to his native state.

Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse announced Thursday he will step down as president of the University of Florida at the end of the month because of his wife's health issues.