Moderate Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) defeated his toughest primary challenge yet with 70.2% of the vote on Tuesday night, supporting the Nebraska Republican Party and even Bacon’s own colleagues in Congress. defeated the right-wing populists who had been .
The election was a test case to see how much influence the Republican wave of populism can have on Republican voters in areas that could become battleground states within six months.
Mr. Bacon’s general election race will likely be one of the most closely watched in November’s House elections, as Democrats seek to retake Republicans’ razor-thin House majority.
The outspoken lawmaker represents an Omaha-based district that President Biden won by more than 6 percentage points in 2020.
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Congressman Don Bacon has fended off a primary challenge from the right and will advance to the November election. (Getty Images)
His opponent was businessman David Frey, who was supported by the state Republican Party and Republican organizations in three Nebraska counties.
Mr. Frey also received particular support from House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-Va.). Mr. Good has supported several challengers to moderate Republicans currently serving in Congress.
Bacon’s campaign was supported by more than 100 Nebraska officials at the federal, state and local levels, including the state’s Republican senators and Gov. Jim Pillen. He also received support from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).
The Senate candidate can be seen on camera shouting at reporters.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good endorsed Bacon’s primary challenger. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
He is now moving forward to face Democratic Sen. Tony Vargas of Nebraska, whom he defeated by less than 3 percentage points in 2022.
Mr. Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, has worked more across the aisle with Democrats than many of his colleagues, particularly on foreign aid. He also followed the lead of many Republican officials in endorsing Trump for re-election this year.
Mr. Bacon also spoke out at the press conference against Republican insurrectionists who are intentionally disrupting their own party’s agenda in protest of House leadership decisions.
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Bacon supports former President Trump’s re-election (Kamil Krzazinski/AFP via Getty Images)
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This earned him both bipartisan praise and scorn from right-wing lawmakers and activists.
A new index released this week ranked him eighth among bipartisan members of Congress. Lugar Center and Georgetown University McCourt Schoolwhich includes the fifth largest number of bipartisan House Republicans.
