A Republican plan to secure all of Nebraska's electoral votes for former President Donald Trump has hit an unexpected roadblock.
According to AP News, GOP Senator Mike McDonnell of Omaha announced his opposition to changing Nebraska's electoral vote allocation system, stopping the Republican effort to adopt a winner-take-all method ahead of the November election.
Nebraska, along with Maine, currently allocates its electoral votes based on both statewide results and congressional district outcomes. This system has allowed Democrats to capture one of Nebraska's five electoral votes in recent presidential elections, including in 2020 when Joe Biden won the 2nd Congressional District.
The push to change Nebraska's electoral vote allocation comes as Republicans seek to maximize their potential electoral college advantage in the 2024 presidential race. Nebraska has consistently voted Republican in presidential elections since 1964, but its current system allows for the possibility of split electoral votes.
In the 2020 election, Joe Biden secured one electoral vote from Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, mirroring Barack Obama's achievement in 2008. This split allocation has become a point of concern for Republicans, who see it as a potential weakness in their electoral strategy.
The 2nd Congressional District, which includes Omaha, has a relatively balanced voter registration, with Republicans holding only a slight advantage. Approximately 25% of voters in this district are unaffiliated with any party, making it a potential battleground in presidential elections.
Senator Mike McDonnell's decision to oppose the electoral vote change is crucial, as Republicans would need a two-thirds majority in Nebraska's unicameral legislature to implement the change before the November 5 election.
McDonnell stated:
After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.
The senator also expressed his belief that Nebraska voters, rather than politicians, should have the final say in how the state selects its president. He encouraged Governor Jim Pillen and the legislature to propose a constitutional amendment next year, allowing voters to decide on the electoral vote allocation method.
The potential impact of Nebraska's electoral vote allocation on the 2024 presidential race is significant. In a hypothetical scenario where the election results are extremely close, a single electoral vote from Nebraska could potentially decide the outcome or force a tie.
Republican efforts to change the system have been ongoing for years, but they have consistently fallen short of the required legislative supermajority. The recent party switch by Senator McDonnell, which gave Republicans their current two-thirds majority, had initially raised hopes among GOP members for implementing the change.
Trump and his allies have been pressuring Nebraska Republican officials to pursue the winner-take-all system. However, McDonnell's district demographics, with a significant Democratic voter base, may have influenced his decision to oppose the change.
Senator Mike McDonnell's opposition to changing Nebraska's electoral vote allocation system has effectively halted the Republican effort to implement a winner-take-all method before the 2024 election. This decision maintains Nebraska's unique system of splitting electoral votes based on statewide and congressional district results. The outcome ensures that Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District remains a potential battleground in the upcoming presidential election, potentially impacting the overall electoral college results.
