$432.2K
MAY 19, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current rolePolitical organizer
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyMainstream Democrat
GenderFemale
LocationNebraska
BackgroundPolitical organizer
Notable personal detailsDenise Powell is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District. She won the Democratic primary in May 2026 and advanced to the general election. Powell has been described as a political activist/organizer and a small business owner in Omaha, and she has emphasized public education and health care in her campaign.
Denise Powell positions herself against tax breaks for billionaires and emphasizes lowering costs for working families while protecting social programs like Medicaid and Social Security. Her campaign highlights fighting economic inequality, cracking down on dark money, and prioritizing investments in communities and public services.
Supports protecting and expanding access to government programs like Medicaid, lowering healthcare costs and premiums for working families, and defending access to reproductive healthcare. Emphasizes preserving Medicaid and Social Security and opposing policies that would dismantle those programs.
The candidate supports abortion rights and has worked locally to oppose abortion bans; she has been endorsed by EMILY’s List, an organization that backs pro-choice Democratic women. Her campaign materials describe efforts to stop extremists from passing abortion restrictions in Nebraska and frame protecting women’s rights as a campaign priority.
Supports clean energy solutions and frames rising energy costs as a priority for constituents; has engaged with climate and health advocacy efforts. Emphasizes investment and policy action to address energy affordability and public health impacts of climate change.
AP reports Powell has now clinched the Democratic nomination after the race was too close to call; that removes the primary uncertainty and shifts attention to the November matchup in this competitive open-seat district.
AP says Denise Powell is now narrowly ahead in the still-uncalled Nebraska 2nd District Democratic primary, and the market has repriced her nomination chance to about 99%. That’s trader-relevant because the race has flipped from a Cavanaugh favorite to a Powell blowout as late-count ballots keep moving the result.
Latest reporting says Denise Powell is now narrowly ahead in the still-uncalled Nebraska 2nd District Democratic primary, and the market has repriced her nomination chance to about 97%. That makes Powell the clear trader focus as count updates keep swinging the race.
Denise Powell has won the Democratic nomination in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District after a competitive primary. She will now face Republican Brinker Harding in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched House races of 2026. The Omaha-area seat is open because Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, and the district is being treated as a key battleground.
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
2026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
