AP Photo/Alex Brando
Pro-Trump Republicans in Nebraska working to change how the state allots its electoral votes ahead of the November election were dealt a blow on Monday as a key state senator said he would not support the effort.
State Sen. Mike McDonnell (R) released a statement saying, “In recent weeks, a conversation around whether to change how we allocate our Electoral College votes has returned to the forefront. I respect the desire of some of my colleagues to have this discussion, and I have taken 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 moment to make this change.”
The New York Times reported that McDonnell’s statement is effectively “ending a brief but intense lobbying effort from allies of Mr. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris” regarding the proposed change.
McDonnell, a former Democrat, also reportedly told Governor Jim Pillen (R), “I will not change my long-held position and will oppose any attempted changes to our Electoral College system before the 2024 election.” Pillen, who supports the change that would help Donald Trump secure another electoral vote, had promised to call a special session of the state’s unicameral legislature if there were enough votes to ensure passage.
The Times explained why McDonnell was the key vote, “Changing the law would require agreement from 33 of the 49 state senators in Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature. Sixteen seats are held by Democrats, all of whom are opposed to the switch. Up until now, Mr. McDonnell and two other Republicans had not committed to the change. The other two Republicans have been seen by officials in both parties in Nebraska as all but certain to follow Mr. McDonnell’s lead.”
Only Nebraska and Maine allot an electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district and the two remaining votes to the winner of the state overall. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden won Nebraska’s Omaha-centered 2nd Congressional District, while Trump picked up a vote in a rural Maine district.
Maine’s Democrat-dominated leadership had vowed to change their system if Nebraska moved ahead with the change to help Trump win all the state’s electoral votes. However, Maine law requires a 90-day period for state legislation to take effect. Critics have noted that the Nebraska GOP appears to have waited until the last minute to make their move so that Maine could not match it.
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