Headline Roundup • September 24th, 2024
GOP Nebraska State Senator Blocks Republican Push to Change State’s Electoral College Rules
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A Republican state Senator in Nebraska effectively blocked a proposed electoral change in Nebraska that would benefit former President Trump in the upcoming election.
The Details: Sen. Mike McDonnell, who was a Democrat until April of this year, issued a statement opposing the change on Monday.
For Context: Republicans have pushed to make Nebraska a winner-take-all state, like every other U.S. state, excluding Maine. Nebraska, which hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 60 years, holds five total electoral votes. Since 1992, it has awarded two electoral votes based on statewide results and one for each of its three congressional districts. In 2008 and 2020, the Democratic candidate received one electoral vote from Nebraska’s second district, which includes its most populous city, Omaha.
Key Quotes: McDonnell wrote, “After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change… I will not change my long-held position and will oppose any attempted changes to our electoral college system before the 2024 election.” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Unfortunately, a Democrat turned Republican(?) State Senator named Mike McDonnell decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory.”
How The Media Covered It: NBC News (Lean Left bias) noted that McDonnell changed to a Republican after Democrats censured him, which Fox News (Right bias) did not. NBC also noted that McDonnell is reportedly considering running for mayor of Omaha.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Nati Harnik / AP file
A Nebraska Republican state lawmaker said Monday that he remains opposed to switching how the state allocates its electoral votes, effectively blocking a bid by President Donald Trump and his allies to change the system in search of an extra electoral vote this fall.
Trump allies have pushed for a special legislative session intended for the Republican-controlled Legislature to change Nebraska's system to winner-take-all instead of awarding electoral votes by congressional district.
"After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to...
Former President Donald Trump slammed Nebraska Republican Sen. Mike McDonnell after the state senator said he would not support a change to the way the state allocates its Electoral College votes that would likely increase Trump’s chances of winning the presidential election in November.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday afternoon that McDonnell is a “Grandstander!” who “decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory.”
The criticism from the former president came hours after McDonnell reiterated he would not...
The Republican Party’s efforts to lock down all of Nebraska’s electoral votes for former President Trump could be jeopardized after a state lawmaker refused to throw his support behind an initiative to change how the state allocates its electoral votes.
Nebraska state Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat from Omaha who switched his party to Republican this year, issued a statement Monday about his opposition to awarding that state’s five electoral votes as a winner-take-all, like 48 other states currently do.
Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that give two electoral votes to the candidate...
