Denise Powell, candidate for the Democratic nomination to the House of Representatives in Nebraska’s second district (R), hugs Jennifer Reyna, chair of Latino Caucus for the Democratic Party of Nebraska, during an election night watch party in Omaha, Neb., on May 13, 2026. Rebecca S. Gratz/AP Photo
OMAHA—Nebraska Democrat Denise Powell will face Republican nominee Brinker Harding in the Nov. 3 general election as both parties continue their fight to represent an area that’s come to be known as the “Blue Dot.”
Powell bested Nebraska state Sen. John Cavanaugh by a narrow margin, obtaining 38.9 percent of the vote for the Democratic nomination to run for Nebraska’s 2nd District House seat. Cavanaugh trailed closely behind at 36.8 percent support and a difference of 1,080 votes with 89 percent counted.