To: Interested Parties
From: Madison Andrus, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: May 13, 2026
Subject: The Case Against Brinker Harding
While Nebraskans are struggling to make ends meet thanks to Trump and Republicans’ cost-raising agenda, MAGA extremist Brinker Harding will continue to rubber stamp the exact policies that are bleeding Nebraska families dry. Throughout his campaign, Harding has gone out of his way to cozy up to party bosses and extremists in Washington D.C., making it clear that he isn’t running to fight for Nebraskans – he’s running to become the next member of the D.C. MAGA elite. Denise Powell, a business leader turned community advocate, knows what it means to fight for Nebraskans. From protecting public schools to pushing back against extremism, she’s been on the frontlines of the most consequential fights in Nebraska because she knows what Nebraskans are going through. As a mother and businesswoman Denise has had to make the tough decisions working families face every day – and she knows those choices are only getting more difficult. That’s why she’s ready to bring her fight to Congress to stand up against Donald Trump and his MAGA extremist sycophants and stand up for Nebraska’s working families. In an open seat that Kamala Harris won by nearly 5 points in 2024, voters are ready to turn out in high numbers to reject Harding and Trump’s MAGA agenda and elect a bipartisan, common-sense leader like Denise Powell.
Bootlicker Brinker Puts MAGA First and Nebraskans Last
Over just a few weeks, gas prices in some parts of Omaha are up by as much as 80 cents per gallon. Not only are working families feeling the squeeze of gas prices on their already tight budgets, but the Harding-endorsed war in Iran is also forcing small business owners to raise their prices, and threatens farmers’ already uncertain futures.Agriculture is a critical backbone of Nebraska’s economy, and Donald Trump and Brinker Harding’s agenda is leaving them out to dry. When Nebraska cattlemen sounded the alarm over Donald Trump’s plan to import Argentinian beef into the country, Brinker Harding stood silent – even though just days before he promised to “always have the backs of Nebraska farmers and ranchers.” Harding has also refused to stand up for farmers as Trump’s reckless tariffs and trade wars made their farm equipment, fertilizer, and fuel more expensive, while simultaneously cutting off their ability to sell their products abroad. Harding has refused to even acknowledge that tariffs are making everything more expensive across the board. Clearly, his promises to Nebraska’s farmers mean less to him than his promise to prioritize his MAGA idols.
Brinker Harding isn’t just ignoring Nebraskans’ reality, he’s cheerleading the policies making life more expensive and falsely claiming that Donald Trump is actually creating a “stronger economy.” And instead of talking about how he plans to make life more affordable for Nebraskans, Harding spent his time trying to win brownie points by copying Trump’s racist sombrero memes. Harding is trying to convince Nebraskans not to believe their own eyes – or wallets – so he can please Trump and his MAGA cronies.
Nebraska’s Health Care System is Crumbling – And Brinker Harding is Proud of It
Just three days after launching his campaign for Congress, Brinker Harding rushed to endorse Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ disastrous ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ that continues to wreak havoc on Nebraska’s health care system thanks to the largest cuts to Medicaid in history.
Just days after the passage of the legislation, a rural Nebraska hospital announced it would be closing its doors, citing Republicans’ anticipated cuts to Medicaid as a significant reason for the closure. Harding didn’t seem to mind though, as he whole-heartedly endorsed the devastating Medicaid cuts the day after that hospital closure was announced. Nine months later, another rural hospital was forced to close its dialysis center, leaving patients fearing the worst: “I guess I’ll just bloat up and die in a month.”
When House Republicans refused to extend the lifesaving Affordable Care Act tax credits that helped nearly 40,000 people in Nebraska’s 2nd District afford their health care, Harding once again refused to stand on the side of Nebraskans, instead supporting his D.C. bosses who let these key tax credits expire. Now, some Nebraskans are seeing their health care premiums more than quadruple, leaving them to consider going without health insurance altogether or even closing down their small businesses.
As Nebraskans literally fear for their lives, Harding has absolutely NOTHING to say about addressing this health care crisis his party created and he supported.
Denise Powell has never stayed silent when it comes to helping Nebraskans access quality, affordable health care. A longtime health care advocate, Denise has taken every opportunity to hold MAGA Republicans accountable for the callous and reckless cuts to health care funding. Denise has made fighting to protect and expand access to affordable health care a cornerstone of her campaign and will not back down from the fight in Congress.
Brinker Harding Has a History of Selling Out Nebraskans
First responders put their lives on the line every day to ensure Nebraskans can live safely – they deserve to have a member in Congress who fights to make sure they have the support and resources they deserve. Omaha firefighters went years without receiving the vital funding they needed to hire 18 more firefighters to keep the city safe. Then, just as it looked like the city council would finally get the funding they needed, Brinker Harding made sure it didn’t happen. Despite pleas from the Omaha Professional Firefighters Union, Harding voted to uphold Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert’s veto that stopped the funding. His vote put Nebraska’s firefighters and working families’ lives at risk.
Denise Powell is committed to fixing Harding’s failures on public safety. She has committed to fighting to fully fund Nebraska’s local first responders including providing additional training and mental health support to officers. As the Harding-backed agenda keeps taking money out of working Nebraskans’ pockets, voters will look to elect a leader like Denise who has consistently put them first.
Brinker Harding Is Out-of-Step with Nebraskans
Brinker Harding is an avowed extremist whose views and policy stances are wildly out of step with everyday workers and families in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
Harding is staunchly anti-choice, supporting restrictions on abortion from the moment of conception. He has regularly attended events and galas with the extremist Nebraska Right to Life group, which spearheaded the states’ total ban on abortion. Harding continues to support Nebraska Right to Life despite the fact that this district voted to protect the right to an abortion in the Nebraska state constitution. Thanks to extremists like Harding, Nebraska now only has two clinics in the entire state providing comprehensive reproductive health care.
While women across Nebraska are forced to drive even longer distances to get critical health care Brinker Harding is doing what he does best – nothing. This is not the quality of a leader. When Republican extremists first tried to enact their abortion ban in Nebraska, Denise Powell was on the front lines rallying doctors and patients in an effort to protect the right to an abortion. Since then, Denise has never given up the fight. She’s going to Congress to finally enshrine Roe v. Wade into law nationwide, codify the right to contraception in federal law, and protect access to IVF and fertility treatments from extremist Republican overreach to ensure that every woman, everywhere in the country has control over her own body
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Roll Call: Republican hopefuls in swing seats aren’t walking away from Trump [Roll Call, 4/22/26]
“Voters in Nebraska’s open 2nd District have twice rejected Donald Trump, but the presumptive Republican nominee for the seat is ‘humbled’ to have the president’s backing.
Trump has been ‘doing great things,’ said Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member seeking to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon.
…
Democrats disagree. Denise Powell, one of the Democrats seeking the 2nd District seat, said ‘pandering to Trump’ wouldn’t prove a successful strategy. Harding, she said, ‘has leaned really far to the right’ to win the president’s support.”
KMTV: ‘Sombrero memes’ in Nebraska congressional race draw criticism from community advocates [KMTV, 10/20/25]
“Harding’s campaign Instagram feed shows reactions to national content, including a post responding to Vice President JD Vance’s promise to stop “sombrero memes” if Democrats help reopen the government.
‘Get back to work and the sombreros go away,’ Brinker said in the post.
…
Local community groups like LULAC, which advocates for Latin Americans, have also expressed disappointment. Harding asked to be on the LULAC Nebraska Council in 2023. Elsa Aranda was president then and told reporters she is disappointed in Harding’s post.”
CNBC: GOP Rep. Don Bacon to retire, Omaha swing district now a top target for Dems [CNBC, 6/28/25]
“Rep. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican in Nebraska, is preparing to announce his retirement from Congress. Bacon’s retirement from Congress creates a ripe opportunity for Democrats to win the House seat representing Bacon’s Omaha district.
…
With Bacon out, the GOP no longer has an incumbent advantage.”
Punchbowl: Democrat eyes opportunity with Bacon’s retirement [Punchbowl, 7/3/25]
“Fresh off Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) announcing his retirement plans, Democrat Denise Powell sees a strong chance for Democrats to finally flip Nebraska’s 2nd District. The Omaha-area business owner and political activist is running her campaign as a “fired up mom” who wants to bring a new face to the district that’s been held by Bacon since 2017.
Powell is centering her campaign on economic issues, highlighting the rising cost of living and paying bills.”
Nebraska Examiner: Denise Powell launches bid in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District [Nebraska Examiner, 5/1/25]
Denise Powell, known for her role boosting new candidates with Women Who Run, is running for Congress in 2026 in Nebraska’s 2nd District. Powell told the Nebraska Examiner on Wednesday that she is running because many people in the Omaha area have lost a ‘voice in D.C.,’ and the district needs more of an “everyday working” person to represent them.
She said she would prioritize protecting Medicaid and Social Security, vote to ensure the federal government does its part to boost quality K-12 education and push back against the Trump administration.”
Omaha World Herald: Nebraska CD2 candidate Denise Powell on AI, cell phones in schools and why she says she isn’t a politician [OWH, 4/8/26]
“I traveled this whole state. I wore out several pairs of sneakers and some tires knocking doors, talking to thousands and thousands of people who oftentimes it would be hard to find common ground with on some things. I’d knock doors on houses flying flags for a president that I didn’t vote for and have to talk to them about issues that are sometimes tough to talk about.
It was building that kind of broad coalition of support around school funding and reproductive rights and all those things that allowed those issues to get on the ballot. So I’ve been behind the scenes, rolling up my sleeves, in the trenches, getting dirty, Ben, to do this work. And I think that’s the energy we need to bring to this race.”
Nebraska Public Media: 2nd District Democratic candidates address affordability, immigration and Iran war [NPM, 4/13/26]
“On tariffs, Powell called for Congressional oversight and said Trump’s policies have hurt local farmers and families.
‘I think a good tariff policy is not one that looks like a roller coaster, and I think that’s the real problem here. Look, I am a mom, and I am out there in this world. I’m also a small-business owner, and I see how these real, real foreign policy decisions impact everyday families we need to get a grip on. And the first thing is that Congress is asleep at the wheel. Congress should have oversight on how we set tariff policy and how we hold tariff policies. This is the number one thing that I hear when I’m out talking to people, and one of the first things that I want to address when I get to Congress.’”
Nebraska Examiner: EMILYs List endorses Denise Powell in Nebraska 2nd District primary [Nebraska Examiner, 10/30/25]
Nebraska Examiner: Former State Sen. Tony Vargas endorses Denise Powell in Nebraska’s 2nd District [NPM, 6/5/25]
Path to Victory
In 2024, Kamala Harris won Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District in 2024 by 4.6 points and NE-02 remains one of the few Harris-won districts held by a Republican. However, early last year Don Bacon read the writing on the wall and knew he would not be able to outrun House Republicans’ disastrous record and devastating broken promises. Bacon’s retirement makes the newly-opened NE-02 a prime pickup opportunity in a district that is increasingly supportive of Democrats.
Encompassing all of Omaha and its suburbs, Nebraska’s 2nd is the most racially diverse district and youngest district in Nebraska, two demographics Democrats historically overperform with.
Denise Powell has dedicated years of her life to rallying and organizing Omaha communities to fight to make their lives better where their representatives failed them. Nebraskans know that Denise Powell is not going to back down and will go to Congress ready and willing to fight for them.
House Democrats came within 2 points of winning this district in 2024, narrowing the margin in every cycle since 2020. As Brinker Harding increasingly aligns himself with Trump’s deeply unpopular MAGA movement, 2026 represents the best opportunity at retaking this seat in nearly a decade. |
