Moderate Republican Don Bacon projected to win re-election for Nebraska swing seat

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Moderate Republican Rep. Don Bacon is projected to survive a close re-election race in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.

The Associated Press projected on Friday that Bacon, a retired military general, who ran against Democratic state lawmaker Tony Vargas, won. 

The race was one of the most closely watched races of the 2024 election cycle. It was a key win for House GOP leaders fighting to keep the chamber majority.

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Rep. Don Bacon, left, faced off against Democrat Tony Vargas. (Getty Images)

In a testament to the district’s battleground status, both Bacon and Vargas emphasized their bipartisan work in the closing days of the campaign.

Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District is the least red House seat in the state. It includes all of Omaha, the state’s largest city, as well as the city of Papillion. 

Bacon was one of 16 House Republicans who won seats in 2022 in areas that had voted for President Biden in 2020, making it one of the most competitive races from the get-go.

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Bacon is one of 16 Republicans serving in areas President Biden won in 2020. (Getty Images)

The moderate GOP lawmaker made a name for himself for speaking his mind, even when it came to criticizing plans and measures levied by fellow Republicans and House Republican leadership.

He retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 2014.

Bacon won the seat in 2016 by defeating incumbent Democratic Rep. Brad Ashford by roughly 1%.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are fighting to win the House majority. (Getty Images)

His three subsequent elections saw him narrowly hold on to power by roughly 2% or less.

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Vargas had previously challenged Bacon in the 2022 midterms and lost by about 2.2%.

A former teacher and Omaha Public Schools Board member, Vargas joined the Nebraska Legislature in 2017. Like Bacon, he defeated an incumbent of the opposite party to win his seat.