Nebraska GOP Gov. Jim Pillen announced Tuesday that he will not call a special legislative session to change how the state distributes electoral votes, dashing Republican hopes that the transition could happen before November.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies are pushing state lawmakers to move to a winner-take-all system, in which the presidential candidate who carries the state receives all five electoral votes. Currently, the state’s three votes go to the candidate who wins each of the three congressional districts.
Pillen said in a statement that Republicans still lack the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster in the unicameral legislature, and that he and his team are “working relentlessly” to find the votes.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t get 33 state senators to agree,” Pillen said, noting that GOP state Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat, endorsed it on Monday. would not support his action It’s very close to election day.
“This is deeply disappointing to me and many others who have worked so hard to ensure that the votes of all Nebraskans are equally claimed,” Pillen said. “Based on the lack of 33 votes, I do not plan to call a special session on this issue before the 2024 election. I am grateful to the many Nebraskans who made their voices heard in the process.”
In 2020, President Joe Biden won the Omaha-based 2nd District, beating Trump by 7 points and winning the district’s electoral vote. That one vote could be decisive in a close election, prompting Trump and his allies to move to take whatever wins before November. But Trump signaled the end of the effort with McDonnell’s announcement Monday night.
“It would be better and cheaper for everyone!” – Trump Posted on Truth Socialhe later added, “I LOVE OMAHA and won it in 2016. Guess I’ll have to do it again!!!”
It remains to be seen whether Trump and his allies will devote more resources to the state moving forward.
So far, Democrats have far outpaced Republicans on air in Nebraska, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact. Since Vice President Kamala Harris topped the Democratic ticket in late July, Democrats in Nebraska have spent $6.7 million on ads, while Republicans have spent $170,000.
GOP Rep. Don Bacon, who represents the competitive 2nd District, said Monday that Trump can win this election as long as he focuses on key issues, including the cost of living and immigration.
“If we had run a disciplined campaign and focused on these issues, I think he would have done very well in our district,” Bacon told NBC News’ Meet the Press NOW.
Alex Tabet and Ed Demaria contributed.