With Lindstrom Out of the Race, Match Up Looks to Be Democrat Cavanaugh and Republican Harding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2026
With Brett Lindstrom Out of the Race for NE-02, The General Election Match Up Looks to Be Democrat John Cavanaugh and Republican Brinker Harding
Omaha, NE – Republican Brett Lindstrom just announced he is dropping out of the race for Nebraska’s Second Congressional District, the open seat being vacated by Rep. Don Bacon.
Democratic frontrunner John Cavanaugh said: With Brinker Harding as the presumptive Republican nominee, it’s full steam ahead to the general election in November. I’m running because Nebraskans deserve a representative who will actually lower costs, stand up to corruption, and hold Trump and his cronies accountable when he sends violent ICE agents to terrorize our cities.
Nebraskans are ready for a change and tired of a Republican controlled Congress that passes tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations while taking healthcare away from more than 100,000 people in our state and raising everyday costs. I look forward to the work ahead and to listening and learning from Democrat, Republican, and independent voters alike.
With just over 100 days until the primary, Cavanaugh is the presumptive Democratic nominee. Earlier this month, the campaign released a poll of 600 likely 2026 Democratic primary voters, conducted January 8-12, 2026, that shows Cavanaugh strengthening his already-dominant position in the race for the open seat in Nebraska’s 2nd District. Cavanaugh leads with 43% of the likely vote. Read the full survey memo HERE.
Cavanaugh served with Brett Lindstrom in the Nebraska legislature, and one of the first bills Cavanaugh co-sponsored in the legislature was 2021 LB 64, Lindstrom’s bill to repeal the tax on Social Security. Brinker Harding does not have the same bipartisan record, and has closely aligned himself with the MAGA Congress and Donald Trump.
In early January, Cavanaugh announced that his campaign will report raising more than $345,000 in the fourth fundraising quarter of the year, which covers October through December. Cavanaugh entered 2026 with nearly $400,000 cash on hand, 97% of which can be used in both the primary and is not reserved just for the general election.
Cavanaugh’s campaign has more labor support than anyone else in the race. The campaign is endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 1483, IBEW 763, the UA Steamfitters & Plumber Local Union 464, the Machinists, which includes IAM Locals 31, 180, 602, 612, and 1569, along with District 8 and District 19, AFSCME, the Amalgamated Transit Union, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Trainmen Nebraska State Legislative Board.
His long list of endorsers includes former Nebraska Governors and Senators Ben Nelson and Bob Kerrey, former Omaha Mayors Jim Suttle and Mike Fahey, and State Senators Terrell McKinney, Ashlei Spivey, George Dungan, Danielle Conrad, Victor Rountree, Dan Quick, and Machaela Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh also has the support of Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman Ro Khanna, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. He is endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
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Media Contact
Katie Bartizal