Papillion, Nebraska — On an unseasonably warm October night in eastern Nebraska on Saturday, 17 days until the 2024 presidential election, both the Harris and Trump campaigns traveled to the Cornhusker State to deliver a similar message to the 2nd Congressional District. Ta. Race results.
Nebraska is one of two states that do not use winner-take-all electoral votes, the other being Maine. The winner of the state’s popular vote receives two votes, and the remaining three votes are divided among the winners in each of the state’s congressional districts.
On Saturday, Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, the son of a Nebraska native, announced that he would be in the 2nd Congressional District (the Democratic-leaning area around Omaha, also known as the “Blue Dot”), which could be on Kamala Harris-Waltz’s ticket. ) held a gathering of 1,400 people. Despite recent efforts by Donald Trump and other Republicans to force historically red states to switch to a winner-take-all system, the Electoral College votes are decisive, giving the former president the all-state vote. is likely to be passed on.
Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks at a campaign rally in Papillion, Nebraska, on October 19, 2024.
Charlie Neighborgal/Associated Press
“And I have to tell you, this is just around the corner…a ‘blue wall’ will be maintained across the northern United States, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. “The industrialized states that proved critical to President Joe Biden’s ability to pass the 270 Electoral College vote threshold to win the 2020 presidential election,” Walz said. He expressed confidence in his victory.
“But you do the math,” Walz added, counting the states again. “269 — One thing makes a difference. Look — ‘Blue Dot,’ you’re an inspiration to the rest of this country.”
“Omaha, put us on top,” Walz concluded Saturday’s rally.
Across town, former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard campaigned for former President Donald Trump, crowds in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. He emphasized how influential the vote in November will be.
Kennedy warned another 1,400 people in the downtown Hilton ballroom that their district was voting in “the most important election in the country.”
“There’s still a chance[the electoral vote count]will be 269-269… Your vote is the most important vote in America today, and that’s why we need to win that state,” he said. .
Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to attendees during a campaign rally at Brazos Hall on May 13, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images, File
In a race that experts and pollsters predict will be close, there is a possibility that Trump and Harris could end up in a tie at 269-269, meaning both would fall short of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, but that is out of the question. isn’t it.
On Saturday, Kennedy said that based on internal polling he conducted when he was a candidate, Harris won Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, while Trump won North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. He presented a hypothetical election night scenario in which he would win.
He said that scenario would result in a 269-269 tie. Kennedy emphasized at the time that one electoral vote in states like Nebraska and Maine could propel one candidate to the top.
Gabbard urged the audience to “convince” other voters in their districts to vote for Trump.
“You could become a swing district that could either save our country or drag us down a path to darkness and destruction,” she said. “I want you to think about how close this election could be, especially in this one district.”
“So, as you leave here tonight, I would like to ask you to take some time to check your cell phone, your Facebook friends, your co-worker contacts, and seriously go through each name one by one and think about who you can reach out to. “I hope we can convince them why they should vote for President Trump in this election,” Gabbard added.
The Harris campaign said it has been working in the district for “several months,” holding weekly phone banking and campaign events at three field offices in Omaha. The campaign said 100 Harris Nebraska volunteers spoke with more than 6,400 voters in the district over the past four days.
“We’re like a tiny little blue dot in this red state. But we have a voice and we want to be heard. Especially in this election. It’s very important,” Omaha Democrat Meg Hawkes told ABC News at Walz’s rally.
“The Blue Dot has truly made our city and state a fun place to be, and so have we,” she said. “I’m personally happy about this, I’m happy that Tim Walz is coming from Nebraska, and I’m happy about Kamala Harris’ policies.”
As Senate and House races heat up, all eyes are on Nebraska
Nebraska has made national headlines multiple times this cycle. First, about the possibility of changing the electoral system to Trump’s side and seizing power from the “Blue Dots,” and now about the increasingly competitive House and Senate. A race that could determine the balance of power in both chambers.
No Democrats are running for Senate in Nebraska, but independent Dan Osborn has been quietly (and sometimes not-so-quietly) endorsed by his party over incumbent Republican Sen. Deb Fischer. Walz did not mention the Senate race or its candidates at Saturday’s rally, but he endorsed state Rep. Tony Vargas, who is running as a Democrat in the 2nd District.
“We’re going to need a Congress that actually knows what the job looks like for the American people. Put Tony Vargas in there and put the Democrats in charge,” Walz said.
At Hilton, Kennedy and Gabbard never mentioned the district’s Senate or Congressional races. But Democratic attendees at Walz’s rally on Saturday were buzzing about the Senate race.
“I’m very cautiously optimistic that Dan Osborne will win,” said Monica Krueger, who attended the rally from Omaha. “He’s on a roll and people are tired of what she’s not doing. I think she really has nothing to show.”
Judy Sterba, an Omahan who also attended the rally, said she is working hard to get Mr. Vargas and Mr. Osborne to Washington.
“I’m putting up signs in yards and writing postcards all over the country to get people registered to vote. So I’m always giving money to people. I think that’s really important. I really want Tony Vargas and Dan to win.”I like Osborne as a candidate, and of course I hate Deb. So that’s a very valid reason to me,” she said, noting that control of the Senate is also a reason why she supports Osborne.
“(Osborne) hit a really good shot, a really good shot,” she said, noting his rapid growth in recent months.
“I think it was around July, I was at the summer music festival, Jazz on the Green, and someone came up to me and said, ‘I want Dan Osborne to sign my ballot. I was like, “Are you seriously this slow?” “This guy has a chance, he’s working hard, and he’s got a lot of support,” she said.
