The American Prospect - Key Nebraska House Primary Features an Establishment Progressive and an Outsider Moderate
Reporter Austin Ahlman writes on profiling the Democratic candidates in a competitive race for Nebraska’s Second Congressional District.
The sleepy start to the race for Nebraska’s Second Congressional District—a vital, ticket-splitting, suburban swing seat—has given way to one of the most dynamic Democratic primaries in the country, following Republican Don Bacon’s announcement earlier this year that he does not intend to seek re-election. The contest is set to defy the tidy progressive-vs.-moderate and establishment-vs.-insurgent narratives that have defined other marquee primary races across the country.
That dynamic was crystallized as state Sen. John Cavanaugh, a scion of a local political dynasty, secured the endorsement of the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC. The endorsement is expected to provide Cavanaugh with a significant fundraising boost, as well as a stamp of credibility that potentially enables him to lock down Omaha’s deceptively large progressive flank. His chief opponent, Denise Powell, a former corporate executive backed by key organs of the party’s national donor class, has been consolidating moderate support in recent weeks to position herself as his main opponent.
Read full article here.