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    • Sen. Mike McDonnell says he’s a ‘no winner-take-all’ ‘starting today’ • Nebraska Examiner
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    Sen. Mike McDonnell says he’s a ‘no winner-take-all’ ‘starting today’ • Nebraska Examiner

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    OMAHA — Nebraska State Senator Mike McDonnell of Omaha acknowledged through a spokesman Thursday that he discussed the future of Nebraska’s allocation of Electoral College votes on Wednesday.

    McDonnell was one of two dozen Republican senators who met in Lincoln with Gov. Jim Pillen, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and others who supported former President Donald Trump.

    Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen holds a press conference on the afternoon of August 5, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

    Most in the group, along with the Nebraska Republican Party, want Nebraska to adopt a winner-takes-all approach to presidential elections, like 48 other states. They want that to happen this year.

    Nebraska and Maine award one Electoral College vote to the winner in each electoral district, plus two votes to the winner of the statewide presidential election.

    McDonnell spokesman Barry Rubin described the proposal to have Nebraska award all five electoral college votes to the state’s winner as “a passionate issue for all Nebraskans.”

    “Senator McDonnell has heard compelling arguments from both sides,” Rubin said Thursday. “And to this day, (he) is still a no.”

    McDonnell was primarily a Democrat

    McDonnell was a lifelong Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in April. He remains a union leader in Omaha. He has ambitions to run for mayor of Omaha as early as 2025.

    He said that when he switched parties he would never support the winner-takes-all principle. However, several attendees at Wednesday’s meeting said McDonnell told them he was looking for a way to get to a “yes” vote, although he expressed concerns.

    Rubin did not answer questions about the Wednesday meeting. But others McDonnell spoke to Thursday said he told some of them he was misunderstood by his fellow Republicans on Wednesday.

    Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert announces she is running for a record fourth term. (Courtesy of Jean Stothert for Mayor)

    Wednesday’s meeting answered questions directed at potential GOP “winner-takes-all” rejects who had expressed reservations about election law interference ahead of the general election.

    Several attendees at the meeting said some senators who had previously wavered showed more support for the winner-take-all move this year. And some noted a change in McDonnell’s tone.

    The ‘winner-takes-all’ approach gets help from Governor Jim Pillen, Senator Lindsey Graham and Trump

    Political observers on Thursday questioned whether McDonnell could defeat incumbent Republican Mayor Jean Stothert in a city with the state’s majority Democrats if he supported the winner-takes-all principle.

    Others said he was stuck anyway, because modern Republicans value Trump over party policy positions and are likely to punish McDonnell if he votes “no” on this issue.

    Republicans are taking the push for Trump to win Nebraska’s 2nd District seriously. Some have argued it could break a 269-269 Electoral College tie.

    President Joe Biden won the 2nd District in 2020. In the previous election in 2016, Trump won all five of the state’s votes, as did Mitt Romney in 2012. In 2008, former President Barack Obama won the 2nd District.

    Others respond to McDonnell

    Pillen praised McDonnell in a statement Thursday for his help during the recent special session on property tax relief and for his work to fund Offutt Air Force Base.

    “I know him to be a diligent legislator,” Pillen said of McDonnell. “On the winner-take-all side, I know he considers all the factors and I appreciate his thoughtfulness.”

    Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb introduces Deputy Doug Emhoff at the opening of the Nebraska Democratic Party’s new office in Omaha. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

    Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb praised McDonnell for being “consistent and steadfast in standing up for the voice of Nebraskans in our electoral process and for their choice.”

    Pillen told senators on Wednesday that he expects them to show him they have 33 firm commitments from state lawmakers to support the winner-takes-all principle — the minimum needed to overcome a likely filibuster — before he calls a special session to pursue it.

    Senators who attended the meeting told the Examiner that Pillen would prefer to call a session no later than next week.

    Ballots will begin to be mailed to Nebraskans abroad this week. The first ballots in the United States will be mailed on September 30. Early in-person voting in Nebraska begins on October 7. Some advocates have argued that the rules of an election should not be changed after voting begins.

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