Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) kicked off his re-election campaign for 2022 on Saturday, Jan. 8, seeking his fourth term in the United States House of Representatives. The three-term congressman, who has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, recently received the ire of both the former President and many of his constituents when he voted in favor of Joe Biden’s $1.5 trillion “infrastructure” bill in congress, prompting Trump to ask, “Anyone want to run for Congress against Don Bacon in Nebraska?”
The solicitation from the former President has not brought any contenders yet, and Bacon’s kick-off campaign had many guests from the establishment GOP in support — Sen. Deb Fischer, former Gov. Dave Heineman, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, and former mayor Hal Daub all in attendance. The event was held at the Omaha Police Department union hall, with OPD union president Sgt. Tony Connor acting as emcee, endorsing Bacon and praising his stand against Democrats’ movement to “defund the police.” Bacon did not mention former President Trump in his speech, and seemed to reluctantly indicate his support of the “red team,” talking instead about finding common ground and bipartisanship. He did call out President Biden’s retreat in Afghanistan last year, which left 13 servicemembers dead, including Cpl. Daegan Page of Omaha.
Current polls show 2022 likely to be a “red wave” for the Midterms, pushing Nebraska’s second district into the “lean Republican” category. Democrats have two candidates in their primary to challenge Bacon, including state senator Tony Vargas.
