Omaha City Council VP Brinker Harding jumps into Nebraska 2nd District U.S. House race

Yahoo

01-07-2025

Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding is the first Republican to announce a bid on the GOP side after U.S. Rep. Don Bacon confirmed Monday he would not seek reelection in 2026. (Courtesy of Harding campaign)
LINCOLN — Republican Omaha City Council Vice President Brinker Harding jumped into Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District race Tuesday to be the GOP nominee.
'I'm running for Congress to make America more like its heartland,' Harding said. 'I want to take those good things we do in Omaha, like balancing the budget, [having] record low crime, [and] a strong economy and take that to Washington and be successful.'
He is the first Republican to announce a bid on the GOP side after U.S. Rep. Don Bacon confirmed Monday he would not seek reelection in 2026 — with more expected in the coming weeks.
Harding has been a part of the Omaha City Council since 2017 after serving as chief of staff and director of economic development for former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, highlighting city projects like the Dodge Expressway and Riverfront Parks. The councilman touted having cut the property tax levy three times.
Harding's campaign set four pillars: Restore America, Grow America, Secure America and Renew America. His campaign says he wants to 'stop reckless spending that fuels inflation and threatens Social Security & Medicare.' It also says he wants to 'cut taxes for working families and small businesses,' 'finish the wall and enforce immigration laws' and 'reignite faith in the American Dream for the next generation.'
He said he built his platform to broadly appeal to Republicans, Democrats and nonpartisans.
'Who wouldn't be for those good-paying jobs or growing the economy?' Harding asked.
But Harding said his first focus is on winning the GOP primary and securing the nomination. Harding said he would probably be like Bacon in 'many ways,' but they have differences of opinion on many issues, saying he persuaded a Democrat to back him for a leadership role on the council.
'I appeal to a broad spectrum and factions of the party,' Harding told the Examiner. 'But at the same time, I don't sell out my values to gain that support.'
His campaign rolled out a launch video Tuesday that nods to President Donald Trump's campaign slogans, including making sure the next 250 years of America is a 'new golden age.' The video also mentions the recent Los Angeles protests over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city and the recent winner of the New York Democratic mayoral primary — self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.
'What do we want our next 250 years to look like?' Harding asked. 'Do we want to be California or New York … or do we want to be more like America's heartland?'
Nebraska U.S Rep. Don Bacon announces he won't run again in NE-02
Harding's announcement touted high-profile endorsements from U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, a close friend of Bacon's, former Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, a fellow former Daub staffer, and State Sen. Kathleen Kauth, a Millard-area conservative who might be in line to run for speaker of the Legislature. He also has the endorsement of Daub, who represented the 2nd District in the 1980s.
Harding emphasized his long roots in NE-02, which includes all of Douglas and Saunders Counties and parts of suburban Sarpy County.
The district is the state's most politically diverse and competitive — and could prove one of Congress' most expensive races in the 2026 midterms.
Other Republicans considering bids include former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, Bacon's 2024 GOP primary challenger, Dan Frei and former chairman of the Nebraska Federation of Young Republicans, Chris Chappelear.
A group of Democrats is already jockeying for the nomination. Omaha political action committee co-founder and business owner Denise Powell and State Sen. John Cavanaugh have announced bids. Democrats Mark Johnston and Evangelos Argyrakis also are running. Another potential Democratic candidate, Douglas County District Court Clerk Crystal Rhoades, has said she is considering a House bid.
Harding expressed confidence in his ability to win the primary, partly because he has spent weeks assembling an experienced team that includes political and campaign veterans who have worked with Bacon and Fischer.
'We will be the hardest working, the most organized, and we will win, not only the primary, but we will win the general election come next November,' Harding said.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX