Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding has launched a bid for Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-Neb.) seat.
“I’m running for Congress because I’m choosing to fight for America’s future, to make America more like its heartland, and to make the next 250 years a new golden age for America,” Harding said in a video posted to the social platform X on Tuesday.
“We have so much momentum, and together, we have so much more to accomplish,” said Harding, who is the first Republican to launch a bid for the seat.
According to the Nebraska Examiner, 2017 marked Harding’s start on the Omaha City Council. He was also former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub’s chief of staff and director of economic development.
State Sen. Brett Lindstrom told KETV in Omaha he’s considering joining the race on the GOP side, which also could include Dan Frei, who challenged Bacon in the 2024 GOP primary. A handful of Democrats — including state Sen. John Cavanaugh and Denise Powell, co-founder of the Women Who Run Nebraska political action committee — have already announced bids for Bacon’s seat.
Bacon announced Monday he would not seek reelection next year, making space for a race that is likely to be competitive in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
“After consultation with my family and much prayer, I have decided not to seek reelection in 2026 and will fulfill my term in the 119th Congress through January 2, 2027,” the Nebraska Republican said in a prior statement.
“After three decades in the Air Force and now going on one decade in Congress, I look forward to coming home in the evenings and being with my wife and seeing more of our adult children and eight grandchildren, who all live near my home,” he added.
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