Nebraska Democrats to pick nominee in fight for ‘Blue Dot’

Democrats are bullish that they can flip retiring Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-NE) House seat in November as the party tries to gain control of the lower chamber.

But first, voters must decide Tuesday between state Sen. John Cavanaugh and marketing consultant Denise Powell in the Democratic primary. Cavanaugh and Powell are locked in a bitter battle for the nomination, with the survival of the state’s so-called blue dot becoming a flash point in the election. 

Cavanaugh’s campaign, backed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, has been mired in debate over whether his election would wind up hurting the Democratic Party in 2028, an argument that has been amplified by Powell.

Powell, backed by the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, has blasted on the airwaves that Cavanaugh’s election would allow Republicans to get rid of the state’s electoral college system, which allows each district to have a single vote, in