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Don Bacon To Retire in 2026, Opening Key Swing Seat in Nebraska’s 2nd District

Formal confirmation next week threatens the slim House GOP majority by giving Democrats a prime opportunity in a district carried by Biden and Harris.

Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) can be seen arriving for a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., winks during a House Committee on Armed Services Chair hearing on the Department of the Army's Fiscal Year 2026 posture, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., outside the U.S. Capitol on June 22, 2023.

Overview

  • Nebraska’s 2nd District, which covers Omaha’s suburbs, backed Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024, though Bacon won re-election by less than 2 percentage points last year.
  • Bacon has distinguished himself as a centrist Republican willing to challenge President Trump on issues including Ukraine policy, tariffs and certifying the 2020 election results.
  • House GOP leaders view his departure as a major blow to efforts to preserve their razor-thin majority in the 2026 midterms.
  • Potential Republican contenders for the seat include Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson and former Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, while Democrats are gearing up to pour resources into the race.
  • The open contest is expected to draw significant national attention and funding and serve as an early barometer of party fortunes next November.