Washington — Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen said Tuesday he would not call a special session to amend how the state distributes electoral college votes before the election in November.
It’s a setback for former President Donald Trump, who would almost certainly benefit from a winner-take-all award.
“My team and I have worked tirelessly to secure a filibuster-proof 33-vote majority to pass the winner-take-all before the November election,” Pillen said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we were unable to persuade 33 state senators.”
State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a Democrat-turned-Republican from Omaha, announced their opposition to the move on Monday, which meant Republicans would fall short unless a Democrat or independent dropped out.
“In recent weeks, a conversation about whether to change how we distribute our Electoral College votes has come back to the fore,” he said in a statement. “I respect the desire of some of my colleagues to have this discussion, and I have taken the time to listen carefully to Nebraskans and national leaders on both sides of the issue. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from election day, is not the time to make this change.”
Nebraska distributes three of its five electoral votes based on the winner in each of the state’s three congressional districts. The presidential candidate who wins the statewide popular vote gets the remaining two.
The Republicans have recently tried to change the system to winner-take-all, which would have denied Vice President Kamala Harris an electoral vote from Nebraska’s 2nd District. The district, which includes Omaha, is more competitive than the rest of the state, which is heavily Republican. President Biden won the district in 2020 and former President Barack Obama carried it in 2008.
McDonnell suggested eventually voting on a constitutional amendment to change how the state distributes its Electoral College votes.
Pillen said McDonnell’s decision was “deeply disappointing.”