{"id":2363159,"date":"2024-11-02T11:25:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-02T15:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-bacon-fights-for-his-political-life-and-for-house-majority-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-02T11:26:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-02T15:26:23","slug":"don-bacon-fights-for-his-political-life-and-for-house-majority-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-bacon-fights-for-his-political-life-and-for-house-majority-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Don Bacon fights for his political life and for House majority &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdon-bacon-fights-for-his-political-life-and-for-house-majority-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2363159&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In the\u200d upcoming election, Rep. Don\u2062 Bacon (R-NE) is facing a \u200dcritical challenge in Nebraska&#8217;s 2nd Congressional District, a swing area \u2062that could play a \u200bpivotal role in determining control of \u200cthe House of Representatives and potentially the presidency. With \u200ca competitive race labeled as &#8220;Lean Democrat&#8221; just days before November 5, Bacon is actively campaigning to secure support from \u200cboth Republicans and Democrats. At an event in \u200bOmaha, he was joined by fellow \u2062Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, emphasizing the importance of unity within the GOP.<\/p>\n<p>While Bacon has successfully defeated Democratic opponents since his election in 2017, his\u200d position is precarious in \u2063a district that has been \u2062leaning\u200c Democratic in recent elections. His <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">strategy involves\u2064 appealing<\/a> to independent voters and distancing himself\u200c from former President Donald Trump, who \u200cremains\u2064 divisive among the electorate. Bacon acknowledges his preference for \u2063centrist candidates over Trump but highlights his focus \u2063on issues like immigration and the economy, \u2063where he \u2063believes Trump&#8217;s impact has been \u200cbeneficial\u200b compared to President Biden.<\/p>\n<p>Bacon&#8217;s bipartisan record, \u200bincluding support \u2062for Biden\u2019s \u2064infrastructure \u200bbill and a vote to certify \u200cthe 2020 election, aims to attract Democratic voters. Nonetheless, \u2064he faces significant pressure from his opponents, who aim to tie him to Trump and emphasize the \u200cneed for change in leadership. As the\u2064 election approaches, Bacon&#8217;s ability \u2062to\u2063 navigate this complex political landscape will be crucial for his re-election efforts.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Don Bacon fights for his political life in race at center of House majority<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1870052\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>OMAHA, Nebraska &mdash; <\/strong>Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) was at ease, mingling with supporters and reconnecting with close friends in a small backroom of Johnny&rsquo;s Cafe in a city that&rsquo;s become an unlikely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"2024\">2024<\/a> epicenter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Dozens of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">voters<\/a> exchanged niceties and took photos with one another as they grabbed drinks from the bar, piled their plates with food, and tucked themselves away into the booths and tables scattered around the room.&nbsp;They were there to support Bacon in the final stretch of his campaign as he battles for his political life in a district that could determine who controls the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-of-representatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"House\">House<\/a> and even the presidency.<\/p>\n<p>But the Midwestern nice gathering on Wednesday also represented a test of whether a more centrist Republican who is not a full-throated Donald Trump supporter can survive in today&rsquo;s politics.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/live-blog\/2024-election-campaign-live-updates-harris-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>2024 ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES: LATEST NEWS ON THE TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As Bacon made the rounds greeting supporters, he was joined by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who traveled more than 1,000 miles to stump for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Nebraska\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Nebraska<\/a> incumbent ahead of Nov. 5. Gonzales is just the latest of several GOP lawmakers and party leaders to campaign for Bacon as vies for another term in the swing district.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very simple why I&rsquo;m here,&rdquo; Gonzales told the crowd. &ldquo;We have a country to save, and we need General Don Bacon in order to save that country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The race for Nebraska&rsquo;s 2nd Congressional District has been one of the most competitive elections of the 2024 cycle. The race was initially rated as a tossup for the months leading up to Nov. 5 before the nonpartisan <em>Cook Political Report <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3172708\/tossup-house-district-nebraska-swings-toward-democrat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">shifted it to &ldquo;Lean Democrat&rdquo; <\/a>just four days before Election Day.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The district, which covers much of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, has long been considered a blue dot in a deeply red state, putting Bacon at risk as he vies for another term.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Despite being a predominantly blue district, Bacon has managed to repeatedly defeat his Democratic opponents since first being elected in 2017 &mdash; even when President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump there in 2020.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Nebraska operates under a congressional district method, meaning the state allocates two electoral votes to the candidate who wins the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nebraska-republicans-push-for-big-2024-electoral-change-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Nebraska Republicans push for big 2024 electoral change - Washington Examiner\">statewide popular vote<\/a> and then awards one electoral vote to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. As a result, Bacon&rsquo;s 2nd Congressional District holds one of the most coveted electoral votes in the country as it could have an outsize influence on who wins not only the House but also the presidential race. <\/p>\n<p>As a result, the district is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/students-should-sue-universities-for-anti-conservative-bias-group-says\/\" title=\"Group advocates for students to take legal action against universities over alleged anti-conservative bias\">receiving increased attention<\/a> as Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Kamala-Harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Kamala Harris<\/a> is expected to sweep its Electoral College vote and spur voter turnout, something Bacon&rsquo;s Democratic challenger is hoping to use to his advantage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The energy on the ground is real,&rdquo; state Sen. Tony Vargas (D-NE) told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>&ldquo;The motivation is real. People are excited.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3147988\/top-house-races-2024-elections-control-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>TOP HOUSE RACES TO WATCH IN THE 2024 ELECTION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It doesn&rsquo;t help that Bacon is faced with a unique paradox in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-democrat-elaine-luria-says-k-12-critical-race-theory-ban-erases-history\/\" title=\"Watch: Democrat Elaine Luria Says K-12 Critical Race Theory Ban Erases History\">evenly split district<\/a>: The Republican incumbent must convince independents and even some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Democrats<\/a> to support his bid while running on the same ticket as Trump, who is trailing Harris in the polls in the 2nd District.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Vargas is hoping to tie Bacon to Trump, accusing the GOP incumbent of being &ldquo;unwilling and unable to stand up against his own party when he has disagreements.&rdquo; Vargas specifically pointed to the bipartisan border bill that failed to pass the Senate last year after Trump came out in opposition.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The main reason it didn&rsquo;t get out of the Senate [and] didn&rsquo;t move to the House is because Donald Trump told members of his party to not solve this problem of border security because it was politically expedient,&rdquo; Vargas said. &ldquo;And everybody fell in line, and that included Don Bacon.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But while Bacon must rely on Trump to motivate voter turnout among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Republicans<\/a> in his district, the GOP incumbent has sought to distance himself from the former president in some ways.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Bacon recalled a moment when a former Omaha mayor challenged him for his support of Trump&rsquo;s candidacy, asking, &ldquo;How can you vote for a guy like Trump?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t my choice. I think I would prefer Nikki Haley [or] Tim Scott. In 2016 I was a [Sen. Marco] Rubio guy, you know, so not my choice,&rdquo; Bacon told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>in an interview. &ldquo;But this is the choice we have &hellip; I told the mayor that everybody has the right to vote on what motivates them the most. Everybody has different priorities.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For him, Bacon said his priorities include immigration, the economy, and foreign policy &mdash; areas he believes Trump has handled better than the Biden-Harris administration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3203494\/counties-that-could-decide-2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>FORGET THE SWING STATES. HERE ARE THE KEY SWING COUNTIES OF 2024<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bacon has also relied heavily on his voting record, pointing to reports that show him as one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/2024\/05\/14\/new-list-rates-the-most-bipartisan-members-of-congress-and-the-least\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">top 10 bipartisan members of the House.<\/a> That makes him the most qualified to represent the district, he said, as the 2nd District is rated as evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, according to the <em>Cook Political Report.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Bacon cited support for Biden&rsquo;s infrastructure bill and increased protections for DACA recipients as well as his vote to certify the 2020 election results despite some Republican opposition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s probably a redline for a lot of Democrats right there,&rdquo; Bacon said of his certification vote. &ldquo;I have a lot of votes like that that I think people recognize&rdquo; as bipartisan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That voting record, Bacon hopes, will attract the Democratic support he needs to eke out a victory.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And so far, it&rsquo;s worked on some key Democratic figures &mdash; such as Ann Ashford, who ran against Vargas in the Democratic primary but has since endorsed Bacon in the general election.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What pushed me over the edge to say that I absolutely wanted to endorse him is my realization of how much we need him,&rdquo; Ashford, who said she is voting for Harris in the presidential election, told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>&ldquo;What you have to look at is the person and their accomplishments and what they can do for your district first, and the country second. And Don has that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Still, Bacon must contend with the reputation of some of his House colleagues on the far Right who are known for rebelling against GOP leadership and voting against several key pieces of legislation. That&rsquo;s led to Republican leaders relying on Democratic votes and accusations the GOP can&rsquo;t lead the chamber on its own.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3191374\/dates-2024-presidential-transition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>KEY DATES FOR THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Don Bacon and the rest of the Republicans in leadership &hellip; can&rsquo;t get things done,&rdquo; Vargas said. &ldquo;They can&rsquo;t lead on the most urgent issues when they have an opportunity to. They fail to actually address issues of border security, and they can&rsquo;t actually get anything done without Democrats coming across the aisle to work on things.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bacon and other GOP lawmakers pushed back on that characterization, arguing the blame lies with both parties in both chambers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just House Republicans, it&rsquo;s Senate Democrats, it&rsquo;s House Democrats, it&rsquo;s Senate Republicans, it&rsquo;s everybody,&rdquo; Gonzales told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>at a campaign event for Bacon on Wednesday. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not necessarily one member&rsquo;s fault, if you will, but you need to have more members that actually want to solve problems &hellip; Don Bacon is the guy that genuinely wants to solve problems.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1870052\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1870052\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don Bacon battles for his political future in crucial race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2640,"featured_media":2363160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/don-bacon-1024x594.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[41725,6571,32735,33821,32076],"class_list":["post-2363159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-don-bacon","tag-elections","tag-house-majority","tag-political-life","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/don-bacon-1024x594.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2363159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2363160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2363159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2363159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2363159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}