Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced Tuesday that he will not call a special legislative session to change the way the state distributes its electoral votes, dashing Republicans’ hopes that the change could happen before November.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies pressured state legislatures to switch to a winner-takes-all system, in which the presidential candidate who wins a state gets all five electoral votes. Currently, three of the state’s votes are awarded to the candidate who wins each of the three districts.
Pillen said in a statement that Republicans still do not have the 33 votes needed to break a filibuster in the unicameral legislature, and he and his team have “worked tirelessly” to secure the votes, he said.
“Unfortunately, we were unable to convince 33 senators,” Pillen said, noting that GOP Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat, confirmed Monday that he would not support the move so close to Election Day.
“This is a huge disappointment to me and the many others who have worked so hard to ensure that the voices of all Nebraskans are given equal consideration in this election,” Pillen said. “Given the lack of 33 votes, I have no plans to call a special session on this issue before the 2024 election. I am grateful to the many Nebraskans who made their voices heard during this process.”
In 2020, President Joe Biden won Omaha’s 2nd District, beating Trump by 7 points to clinch the district’s electoral votes. That one vote could be crucial in a close election, prompting Trump and his allies to push for a switch to winner-take-all voting before November. But Trump signaled Monday night that the effort had stalled after McDonnell’s announcement.
“It would have been better, and a lot cheaper, for everyone!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, later adding, “I LOVE OMAHA, and won it in 2016. Looks like I have to do it again!!!”
It remains to be seen whether Trump and his allies will commit more resources to help the state move forward.
So far, Democrats have vastly outspent Republicans on the airwaves in Nebraska, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact. Since Vice President Kamala Harris took the lead on the Democratic ticket in late July, Democrats have spent $6.7 million on ads in Nebraska, while Republicans have spent $170,000.
GOP Rep. Don Bacon, who represents the competitive 2nd District, said Monday that Trump could win those electoral votes as long as he continues to focus on key issues, including the cost of living and immigration.
“If we ran a disciplined campaign and focused on those issues, I think he would do very well in our district,” Bacon told NBC News’ “Meet the Press NOW.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
