In Eastern Nebraska, far from the presidential battleground states, a drama is playing out that could, in a perfectly plausible November scenario, have history-altering repercussions for the nation’s future and the next president — and it may all come down to one man.
A single Republican state senator from Omaha, Mike McDonnell, has so far stood firm against a push by former President Donald J. Trump, national Republicans and the Nebraska G.O.P. to change Nebraska from a state that divides its electoral votes by congressional district to one that awards all of them to the statewide winner. Maine is the only other state without a winner-take-all system.
If Mr. McDonnell buckles, two other Republican senators in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature who have also not yet committed to changing Nebraska’s system are likely to follow his lead, according to a number of Republicans and Democrats involved in the discussions going on at the State Capitol….
As of Friday, Mr. McDonnell, who is barred by Nebraska’s term limits law from seeking re-election, had not changed his position.
“Senator McDonnell has heard a lot of compelling arguments for and against, but as of right now he still remains a no vote,” his spokesman, Barry Rubin, said on Friday. “The only way he would think about switching would be if someone gave him a compelling reason for why it made sense on the merits of the winner-take-all situation.”
Mr. Rubin said Mr. McDonnell was not weighing or asking for political favors from the Harris and Trump camps. “Nobody is offering anybody anything,” he said….
See also my earlier Slate piece, A Last-Minute Effort to Mess With the 2024 Vote Is Underway. It’s Scarier Than Expected.