U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., at left, and State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha are running for the 2nd District seat in the Omaha-area. (Courtesy of Photos/House of Representatives and Unicameral Information Office)

OMAHA — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this week announced reserving $1 million in television and digital advertising time in Nebraska’s 2nd District U.S. House race. 

It had reserved none by this point in the 2022 election cycle, in the first race between Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon and Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.

Bacon beat Vargas that time by about three percentage points in a campaign that was flooded with nearly $11 million in outside spending and more than $7 million in spending by the campaigns.

Already in this year’s rematch, Bacon has raised $3.5 million and Vargas has raised $2.4 million. Both have spent at least $800,000. Each has more than $1.6 million in cash on hand.

$28 million in national ads

The local slice of $28 million in initial DCCC ad reservations indicates the Nebraska race remains a national target despite the district’s slight Republican lean.

The group reserved TV ads for swing-district House candidates in 15 broadcast markets, including Omaha, and digital ads in 21 states, including Nebraska.

A DCCC spokeswoman did not have a breakdown of how much of the 2nd District money would be spent on TV ads versus online or digital. She said those decisions had not yet been released.

Nationally, the group said it set aside $16 million of that $28 million total for TV ads and $12 million for digital to reach voters in some of the most important battleground districts.

DCCC Executive Director Julie Metz said in a statement that the party is trying to target harder-to-reach voters where they are, which is increasingly on their handheld devices.

“The stakes for the House Majority couldn’t be higher,” Merz said. “This approach ensures that we are equipped to effectively elevate the threat of GOP extremism.”

Political observers said they expect major investment again in the 2nd District race in part because any party investments will also help the major party presidential candidates. 

Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have started staffing up campaigns in the 2nd District and are competing for the district’s stray Electoral College vote.

Nebraska and Maine are the only states that award a portion of the state’s electoral votes to the winners of the presidential popular vote in each congressional district. 

Republicans respond

The National Republican Congressional Committee is still in the process of announcing its first major ad reservations of the general election campaign.

But the group’s national press secretary, Will Reiner, said Democrats are playing defense, spending the vast majority of the reservation protecting vulnerable Democratic incumbents.

“Extreme House Democrats are waving the white flag and abandoning their dreams of a House majority,” he said. “That’s the only way to explain their measly reservation on offense.”

The GOP-led Congressional Leadership Fund has already announced a separate $2.8 million ad reservation to help Bacon. That’s up from the $1.3 million it reserved in early 2022.

The Democratic-led House Majority PAC has previously announced a separate $2 million pledge to reserve ad time in support of Vargas, who represents South Omaha in the Legislature.

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