Why does Biden need to worry about Nebraska if he wants to win in 2024?

Nebraska is not one of the all-too-important swing states Joe Biden will need to win if he wants to beat Donald Trump in November but it could soon be a crucial area of focus for  his campaign if a new bill becomes legislation in the state. 

Bill LB 764 was introduced in Nebraska’s Legislature by Republican state Senator Loren Lippincott and it aims to alter the way the state gives out its electoral votes according to a report from Newsweek. Here’s what you ought to know. 

Photo Credit: Facebook @LorenLippincottNE

Senator Lippincott’s legislative bill would give all five of Nebraska's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who performs the best in the state. This would be a departure from how Nebraska does things now but in line with the nation. 

According to World Population Review, Nebraska and Maine are the only states in 2024 that don’t have a winner-take-all electoral system. However, that could soon change for Nebraska and it could be a big problem for the Biden campaign.

At the moment, Nebraska gives three of the state’s five electoral votes to the candidate that wins its three congressional districts, and that puts Nebraska’s 2nd District in the Omaha region in play for Biden, which is important to win 2024. 

Republicans normally win the vote in Nebraska statewide but the current rules give the Democrats and Biden a chance at capturing one electoral vote. If the rules are changed it would change how Biden gets the 270 electoral votes he needs. 

Politico White House correspondent Jonathan Lemire outlined the problem Biden would face if LB 764 becomes law, something that he explained on Twitter could be “possibly a massive deal for November.”

Lemire wrote that if Biden can’t get one electoral vote from the Omaha region, and if he loses all the swing states except for Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, then he would only net 269 electoral votes. “His easiest path to 270 would be gone,” Lemire noted. 

On April 3rd, the Nebraska legislature blocked LB 764. However, Senator Lippincott told the Nebraska Examiner that he would try one more time to get LB 764 passed before the current legislative session ends on April 18th according to a report from NBC News. 

The winner-take-all electoral bill is also backed by Nebraska’s Republican Governor Jim Pillen, who released a statement on April 2nd supporting the measure and called on all of the GOP representatives in the state to pass LB 764. 

"I am a strong supporter of Senator Lippincott's winner-take-all bill (LB 764) and have been from the start. It would bring Nebraska into line with 48 of our fellow states,” the Nebraska governor explained in his statement. 

Lippincott also noted that switching to a winner-take-all model would “better reflect the founders' intent” while also ensuring that the state could speak “with one unified voice in presidential elections,” before asking Republicans to pass the bill. 

John Lamire, along with Politico reporters Elena Schneider and Madison Fernandez, pointed out in an April 3rd article on LB 764 that Republican activists have previously targeted the state’s law following recent election cycle wins for the Democrats. 

“There’s a decent amount of momentum behind it, but there are only a handful of legislative days left so it’d take a herculean effort to make it happen logistically,” said Barry Rubin, a Nebraska-based lobbyist, told Politico. 

“Pressure from national groups, along with the governor and others, in addition to the enormous impact of removing the ‘blue dot’ from Nebraska’s 2nd could certainly move this along,” Rubin continued. 

Donald Trump applauded Governor Pillen’s attempt to get LB 764 passed on Truth Social and noted that “Nebraskans have wanted to go back to this system for a very long time.” However, only time will tell if the bill gets passed by the state’s legislature. 

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