logo
Don Bacon won't seek reelection in competitive Nebraska district

Don Bacon won't seek reelection in competitive Nebraska district

Yahoo6 days ago
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) announced Monday that he would not seek reelection in 2026, opening up what will likely be a competitive race for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District.
'After consultation with my family and much prayer, I have decided not to seek reelection in 2026 and will fulfill my term in the 119th Congress through January 2, 2027,' the 61-year-old Bacon said in a statement.
'After three decades in the Air Force and now going on one decade in Congress, I look forward to coming home in the evenings and being with my wife and seeing more of our adult children and eight grandchildren, who all live near my home. I've been married for 41 years, and I'd like to dedicate more time to my family, my church, and the Omaha community,' he continued. 'I also want to continue advocating for a strong national security strategy and a strong alliance system with countries that share our love of democracy, free markets and the rule of law.'
The announcement comes days after a source familiar confirmed to The Hill that Bacon would not seek reelection next year.
Bacon's decision to retire creates an open seat in one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country.
Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, which includes Omaha, was won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and presents an opportunity for Democrats to pick up the 'blue dot' district Bacon has held since winning it in 2016.
Live updates: Senate debates 'big, beautiful bill'
'The writing has been on the wall for months. Nebraskans are tired of the false promises that Republicans are trying to sell and they want real results,' said Madison Andrus, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 'Don Bacon's decision to not seek reelection in 2026 is the latest vote of no-confidence for House Republicans and their electoral prospects. Next November, Nebraskans are going to elect a Democrat who will actually deliver for them.'
The House Republican campaign arm emphasized it continues to feel confident that Republicans will maintain their hold on Bacon's seat.
'Don Bacon has served our country with honor after nearly 30 years in uniform and nearly a decade in Congress. Thanks to his steadfast commitment to duty and principled leadership, both Nebraska and our nation are stronger today,' said Zach Bannon, a spokesperson at the National Republican Congressional Committee.
'As we look ahead, Republicans are confident in keeping Nebraska's 2nd District red as we maintain and expand our majority in the House,' he added.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

RNC Chair Michael Whatley will run for Senate from North Carolina, sources tell CNN
RNC Chair Michael Whatley will run for Senate from North Carolina, sources tell CNN

Yahoo

time23 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

RNC Chair Michael Whatley will run for Senate from North Carolina, sources tell CNN

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is expected to run for the Senate in North Carolina, setting up a marquee race in next year's midterms, two sources familiar with Whatley's plans tell CNN. He will enter the race with President Donald Trump's backing, after Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, opted against running for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. A North Carolina Republican consultant who has worked to set up Whatley's campaign told CNN on Thursday that a formal announcement is expected to come 'in the next week to 10 days.' Politico first reported Whatley's plans. The president preemptively threw his support behind Whatley in a post on Truth Social Thursday night where he also endorsed RNC treasurer Joe Gruters to succeed him as the committee's leader. 'Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina,' Trump wrote. 'He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC where, in the Presidential Election, we won every Swing State, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a landslide! But I have a mission for my friends in North Carolina, and that is to get Michael Whatley to run for the U.S. Senate.' The RNC chairman's entry sets the stage for what's likely to be one of the best-funded, highest-profile Senate races on the 2026 midterm calendar. Former Gov. Roy Cooper, a popular Democrat who was term-limited after eight years and left office at the end of 2024, also plans to announce a Senate run in the coming days, sources told CNN. Lara Trump plans to remain in her in role as host of a weekly Fox News show and will also appear alongside Whatley at upcoming political events, a source said. 'I am deeply grateful for the encouragement and support I have received from the people of my home state whom I love so much,' she said in a post on X. 'While I am not running in this election, my passion for Making America Great Again burns brightly, and I look forward to the future, wherever that leads.' The clash in North Carolina comes as Democrats, who need to flip four Senate seats to claim the majority, look for opportunities to make races for Republican-held seats competitive on an unforgiving map in which North Carolina could be the only true toss-up. Democrats' Senate hopes of flipping GOP-held seats elsewhere could hinge on retirement and recruiting questions. In Maine, five-term Sen. Susan Collins has beaten back stiff Democratic challenges in the past. In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn faces a primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a scandal-plagued conservative firebrand who Democrats view as a much weaker general election candidate. In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst has not yet announced her reelection plans, though Republicans have several strong potential replacements if she opts out. In Ohio, Democrats hope former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his seat in 2024, will attempt a comeback — this time challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Democrats must also defend Senate seats in several swing states, including Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection and open seats in Michigan and New Hampshire. Whatley previously spent five years as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and the RNC's general counsel. He took the helm of the national party in 2024 after Trump's tensions with former RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Gruters, who Trump on Thursday said 'will have my Complete and Total Endorsement' to succeed Whatley as chairman, was floated as a possibility for the leadership post in 2024 as well. 'I'm looking forward to advancing President Trump's America First agenda as the next Chair of the RNC,' Gruters said in a statement to CNN. 'He is the greatest President in our nation's history, and I'm ready to serve, fight, and win for our party and our country.' The Florida state senator is a longtime friend and ally of Trump, bucking the party line in the Sunshine State by backing Trump over Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Their relationship predates Trump's time in office to when he was a celebrity developer still weighing a political future. In 2012, on the eve of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Gruters convinced Trump to headline a fundraiser for the nearby Sarasota GOP. Gruters, who was chairman of the local party at the time, named Trump the Statesman of the Year. Trump had endorsed Gruters in his bid to become Florida's chief financial officer, a cabinet-level position that is elected statewide. It's unclear if Gruters will drop out of the race. DeSantis recently passed over Gruters and spurned Trump when he filled a vacancy at state CFO with state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia. This story has been updated with additional information. CNN's Donald Judd and Steve Contorno contributed to this report.

US regulators greenlight contentious $8 bn Skydance-Paramount merger
US regulators greenlight contentious $8 bn Skydance-Paramount merger

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

US regulators greenlight contentious $8 bn Skydance-Paramount merger

US regulators on Thursday approved an $8 billion deal for Skydance to acquire Paramount Global amid tumult in the latter's news and late night programming on CBS, a leading American broadcaster. Clearance of the acquisition comes after Paramount settled US President Donald Trump's lawsuit over election coverage on CBS News' flagship show "60 Minutes," and a week after CBS canceled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." The comedian had blasted the $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit as "a big fat bribe" to win approval of the merger with Skydance. Colbert's show is slated to end in 2026, and is staple of late-night US television that often mocks Trump. CBS said in a statement the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," and was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." Paramount reached the settlement with Trump this month in a lawsuit the entertainment giant itself had described as meritless. The Republican president had sued Paramount for $20 billion last year, alleging that CBS News' "60 Minutes" news program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor. To promote the show, "60 Minutes" had shown a shortened clip or "tease" of Harris speaking on earlier network programming, and the full quote was aired on the Sunday evening broadcast. Trump objected to the use of the shorter clip. The FCC chair doubled down on the Trump administration's criticisms of CBS News. 'Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately and fairly,' Carr said in the statement. 'It is time for a change. That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network.' - Suspicious timing? - The FCC's approval of the merger "reeks of the worst form of corruption," Democratic Senators Edward Markey and Ben Ray Lujan said in a joint statement. "The timing speaks for itself," Markey and Lujan said. "Paramount settled with Trump on Tuesday and the FCC approved the merger on Thursday." Markey last week sent a letter to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone demanding details about the decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," specifically whether anyone in the Trump administration asked for the show to be cancelled, according to a copy posted at his official website. Colbert said on Thursday the cancellation was not just the end of his show but the end of the decades-old "Late Show" franchise, which has been broadcast continuously on CBS since 1993 and was previously hosted by David Letterman. Trump celebrated the cancellation, writing on his Truth Social platform, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings." Trump's political opponents and other critics drew attention to the timing of the decision. "CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump -- a deal that looks like bribery," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said on social media platform X. Colbert, once a regular on Comedy Central, made use of humor in his incisive political commentary and succeeded Letterman as the host of "The Late Show" in 2015. The late-night television landscape has long been dominated by satirical comedy shows that blend entertainment with news and political commentary. As a condition of approval, Skydance will put in place an "ombudsman" who will evaluate complaints of bias, according to Carr. "Skydance, which has no DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs in place today, has committed that it will not establish any such initiatives at the new company," Carr said in a release. gc/sla

The RNC chairman is stepping down. Trump wants a Florida Republican to step in
The RNC chairman is stepping down. Trump wants a Florida Republican to step in

Miami Herald

timean hour ago

  • Miami Herald

The RNC chairman is stepping down. Trump wants a Florida Republican to step in

Amid news that the chairman of the Republican National Committee is stepping down, President Donald Trump on Thursday encouraged Republicans around the country to rally behind a Florida lawmaker as his replacement. Posting on his social media site, Truth Social, Trump said Florida Sen. Joe Gruters, from Sarasota, 'will do a wonderful job' as the chairman of the Republican Party. Gruters, 48, confirmed in a text message that he wants the job. 'I'm looking forward to advancing President Trump's America First agenda as the next Chair of the RNC,' Gruters wrote in a text message to the Miami Herald. 'He is the greatest President in our nation's history, and I'm ready to serve, fight, and win for our party and our country.' Trump endorsed Gruters at the end of a post about current RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, who is expected to step down from his position to seek a soon-to-be-open seat in the U.S. Senate representing North Carolina. Trump said Whatley has his endorsement for the Senate seat should he run. Gruters, a former Florida GOP chairman, has been a longtime supporter and friend of Trump's. He was co-chair of the president's 2016 campaign in Florida, and got a look from the president last year when then-RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was on her way out. Gruters has been campaigning for the post of Florida chief financial officer, and only recently announced that two of Trump's top political advisors would work for his campaign. He faces a competitive primary, with Gov. Ron DeSantis this month appointing former state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia to the post. Gruters did not say whether his interest in the RNC job would affect his campaign.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store