Democrats will choose a candidate in a House battleground in Nebraska that could decide the fate of Omaha’s “blue dot” vote.
Democratic voters in Nebraska will decide on their candidate in a key battleground House district on Tuesday, as the party seeks to stoke optimism about regaining control of Congress this fall despite recent redistricting setbacks that have left them feeling glum.
Democrats in the state will also weigh in on a bizarre Senate primary where they hope a political bank shot will ultimately oust a Republican incumbent — an uphill battle in the deep-red state that could turn on rural voters’ anxieties over agricultural tariffs and the economy.
In West Virginia, a Republican governor will test whether he has the clout to push out members of his own party in the State Legislature who he says don’t meet his standard.
Here’s what to watch for on Tuesday evening in Nebraska and West Virginia:
Do shenanigans in Nebraska help or hurt Dan Osborn?
Dan Osborn, a former labor leader who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2024, is back this year, running as an independent against Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican. Democrats have thrown their support behind him and see a faint — but not impossible — chance of ousting a Republican in a conservative state that has felt the effect of President Trump’s tariffs.
To give Mr. Osborn a clean shot at Mr. Ricketts, the Nebraska Democratic Party had hoped to keep the ballot clear of any Democratic candidate who could split the left-leaning votes Mr. Osborn is likely to attract.
But there is a Democratic primary on Tuesday, between William Forbes, a pastor who has voted for Mr. Trump and is accused of being a Republican “plant” in the race, and Cindy Burbank, a retiree who has said she plans to drop out of the primary after winning to clear the field for Mr. Osborn. Democrats have tried to educate their voters about the unusual dynamics of the race and urged them not to back Mr. Forbes.