GOP congressman explains why he thinks he won over Biden voters


Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) broke down why he thinks he was able to win a district also carried by President Biden for NBC News' Chuck Todd, and his reasoning was fairly simple.
Bacon won Nebraska's 2nd congressional district by five points, and Biden won by six, which means the congressman ran ahead of former President Donald Trump by double digits. That suggests he benefited from split tickets. Bacon's "main takeaway" from the race is that "Republican and conservatives and our ideas, they win ... but also the difference is civility, it's a diplomacy. This election became about values versus personality. If it's gonna be about values and policy, the Republicans are gonna win at the national level. We did congressionally and at the local level." He didn't mention Trump specifically, but he did say he found voters found "decency and civility ... lacking," which pushed them toward Biden.
The point seems sound — Bacon was even able to pick up an endorsement from his 2016 Democratic rival ahead of the 2020 vote — but it may be another example of the pickle the party is in, as previously shown in a recent Georgia poll. Republicans who take their cues from Trump pose a significant primary threat to incumbents, but they also seem more likely to lose in the general election. So, as things stand, it's unclear whether Bacon's advice will register on a larger scale or if it works particularly in his district. Tim O'Donnell
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein