Outgoing Republican Congressman signaled he could mount a future bid for the White House.
“I got asked the other day, ‘You say you’re interested in being an executive — is that governor or president?’ I go, ‘Yes,’” Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon told NBC News in an interview last week in his office.
“If there’s an opportunity, and I can make a difference, a unique difference, I would like to keep serving. I just don’t want to do two-year elections,” he continued in the interview, which was published on Sunday.
Bacon announced last week he would not seek reelection in the vulnerable swing district, which includes Omaha and rural areas of Nebraska. In 2024, Bacon was one of three Republicans elected in districts that voted for former Vice President Harris over President Trump.
Bacon, a five-term congressman and retired Air Force brigadier general, has represented the 2nd District since 2017. Known for his relatively moderate approach and clashes with President Donald Trump, Bacon has occasionally broke with his party on major issues. He voted to certify the 2020 election and co-sponsored bipartisan legislation like the “Improving Reporting to Prevent Hate Act” with Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), aimed at improving the accuracy of hate crime reporting.
Bacon acknowledged it would be difficult to win a White House bid, particularly as a House member and as a Republican who still embraces Reaganism and a hawkish view of foreign policy.
“I don’t think it would be very easily done,” he said. “All I know is I have a heart to serve our country, and I have a vision.”
Bacon suggested he’d be interested in serving as Defense Secretary “if God opens up that door,” but acknowledged his doubt that a Republican president would tap him for the post.
Bacon also said that he would not run for governor against Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R), who was elected in 2023 and who, NBC News reported, is a “close friend” of Bacon’s.
Bacon’s exit opens one of the most competitive House seats in the country. The 2nd District — which includes Omaha and parts of Douglas, Sarpy, and Saunders counties — has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+3. Once a Republican stronghold, the district has been trending leftward thanks to shifting demographics and political realignment, particularly during the Trump era. (RELATED: Rep. Don Bacon To Retire, Opening Key Battleground In Omaha’s 2nd District)
Before Trump, the GOP had a lock on the district. George W. Bush carried it handily in 2000 and 2004. Even Mitt Romney won it by 7 points in 2012. But the tide began to shift in 2008, when Barack Obama flipped the seat — marking the first Democratic presidential win there since 1964.
Trump won it narrowly in 2016, but Joe Biden carried the district by about 6 points in 2020, and Democrats held it again in 2024. These wins came despite Nebraska remaining solidly red overall.
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