Sen. Lindsey Graham of Lausanne said he supports Nebraska's effort to change the way the state allocates its electoral votes to a winner-take-all system, a move that would favor former President Trump in November.
“I want to see winner-take-all,” Graham said. CBS News On Thursday, it reported that “Trump will win the state by 20 points.”
Graham visited Nebraska this week to meet with Republican Governor Jim Pilen and state lawmakers to discuss the possible change. Nebraska has five electoral votes. Unlike most states, the Cornhusker State awards two to the winner of the popular vote. The remaining three votes are divided among districts and awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each district. Maine is one exception.
Nebraska Republican lawmakers on Wednesday called for the state to switch to a winner-take-all election system.
According to CBS News, Graham said the senators' proposal was “very reasonable” because “the entire fate of the country and the world could depend on one electoral vote.”
“I was happy to get out there and talk about the world as I see it,” Graham said. “I hope that the people of Nebraska understand that this may come down to one electoral vote, and I don't believe that a Harris presidency would be good for Nebraska.”
An attempt by the state's Republican lawmakers to make the change in early April was defeated on a procedural vote, and an effort to attach the bill as an amendment to another bill failed with the support of just eight lawmakers.
This potential adjustment would be crucial in the 2024 presidential election. If Vice President Harris wins the popular vote in the state's 2nd Congressional District, she would gain an additional electoral vote, making it slightly easier to reach 270 votes. President Biden won the district by about 7 percentage points in 2020. Trump won the state by more than 19 percentage points in 2020.
The Hill has reached out to Graham's office for comment.
