Republican state senators in Nebraska have let down their party by refusing to support a crucial winner-take-all electoral vote system ahead of the 2024 election. Gov. Jim Pillen (R) announced that he won’t call a special session after failing to gather the necessary 33 votes from the state senate to make the change.
Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party earlier in 2024, played a pivotal role in blocking the proposal. McDonnell’s refusal to back the measure has drawn sharp criticism, especially given the importance of Nebraska’s electoral votes in a close election. In 2020, President Donald Trump lost one of Nebraska’s five electoral votes to Joe Biden in the 2nd Congressional District, a result that could be repeated if the state maintains its split-vote system.
McDonnell stated, “Right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.” His stance, along with that of two other Republicans, prevented the bill from passing.
Gov. Pillen and other Republicans worked hard to push the proposal forward, but their efforts were thwarted by those unwilling to prioritize the party’s objectives. Pillen remarked that they had “left every inch on the field to get this done,” signaling just how crucial the change was for securing all of Nebraska’s electoral votes for the GOP.
The refusal of these senators to back a winner-take-all system shows that their priorities are not aligned with the broader Republican goals. The time may have come for voters to replace these senators with representatives who will work to protect the party’s interests in future elections.
