National Democrats air pandemic recovery ad in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — National Democrats began airing a pandemic recovery ad in the Omaha area on Wednesday, signaling that they’re still willing to put resources into Nebraska’s competitive 2nd Congressional District even though the rest of the state is solidly Republican.

The 60-second ad in the Omaha television market highlights the nation’s efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and return to normalcy.

The ad includes several shots of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who won the 2nd District in the 2020 election, marking only the second time in history that Nebraska has split its Electoral College votes.

Even though Biden and Harris won the district, voters also re-elected Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon over a well-funded Democratic challenger, Kara Eastman. The 2nd District, including Omaha and parts of its suburbs, is one of the few nationally that’s consistently competitive between Republicans and Democrats.

Republicans won Nebraska's other congressional races, with incumbent Jeff Fortenberry winning a closer-than-expected race against former State Sen. Kate Bolz in District 1, and Adrian Smith winning an eighth term while claiming almost 80 percent of the vote in District 3. Both districts also supported former President Donald Trump in the presidential election.

In a statement, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee said the American Rescue Plan signed by Biden is helping to vaccinate Americans, reopen small businesses and provide financial assistance.

The ad was timed to coincide with the July 4 holiday.