Dem
48
Ties
1
GOP
51
Kamala Harris doesn't have a lot of hope that she can win statewide in deep-red Nebraska. But Nebraska is one of the two states that awards some of its electoral votes by congressional district and NE-02 (Omaha) has a PVI of EVEN and is winnable for the right Democrat. Barack Obama won NE-02 in 2008 and Joe Biden won it in 2020. In a tight race, that one EV could matter. There are scenarios where the candidate who wins NE-02 wins the White House.
Harris knows this and has a plan. In fact, she has a secret weapon. in the battle for NE-02: Tim Walz. Walz was born in West Point, NE, which is about 55 miles northwest of Omaha. He wears flannel, goes hunting and speaks Nebraskan. While Harris is certainly not going to campaign in Omaha, she is going to send Walz there from time to time to act folksy and try to convince people that she is not some kind of crazy California Communist. Coming from a native son, that might actually work.
Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said that many people think of Nebraska as a flyover state Democrats don't care about. But having a member of the national ticket show up and campaign helps dispel that image. She said that Walz and his ties to Nebraska are what Nebraska Democrats have most asked her about.
The NE-02 electoral vote is not the only reason Walz will spend some time in Nebraska campaigning. The NE-02 House seat is currently occupied by Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE). With that PVI of EVEN, that seat is in play. When in Nebraska, Walz will also campaign with Democratic state senator Tony Vargas, who is trying to unseat Bacon. Given how close the House is, that race alone makes it worth Walz' while to visit the state a few times this fall. (And yes, members of the Nebraska unicameral legislature are called "senators" because there used to be a state House but it was abolished in 1934 as a cost-cutting measure during the Depression, leaving only the Senate behind). (V)