Nebraska candidates advance to November in House races

• Nebraska is holding primary elections for its three House seats.
• The state's 2nd District will once again be one of the nation's hotly contested seats.

Nebraska is holding congressional primaries tonight. Polls have now closed across the state. Follow along for results.

The races and the stakes:

Republicans dominate Nebraska statewide, but the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District is as purple as it gets.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon easily won his primary as he continues as he seeks to win a 4th term this November. Former President Donald Trump floated the idea of finding a Republican to challenge Bacon, but the former Air Force officer has proven himself to be adept at appealing to pro-Trump supporters while not alienating his broader appeal.

Bacon is one of just nine House Republicans who hold a seat that now-President Joe Biden won in 2020. Biden carried the district by 7 points, but Bacon still won by nearly 5 points. Cook Political Report rates the race as "Likely Republican" — a nod to Bacon's budding profile.

Democrats are nevertheless hoping to break their losing streak — and make history in the process.

State Sen. Tony Vargas is projected to move on to facing Bacon come November. Nebraska has never sent a Latino to Washington, something a Vargas victory would change.

Republicans are widely favored to hold onto the state's two other US House seats.

The state's 1st Congressional District is currently vacant. Former congressman Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican who held the seat since 2005, resigned in late March after he was convicted of lying to the FBI.

Republicans named state Sen. Mike Flood as their pick to replace Fortenberry in a June 28 special election. Democrats tapped state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks. But the June contest will only determine who holds the seat through the end of the current Congress, which ends in January 2023. Both hopefuls easily won on Tuesday night, the first step to winning a full term of their own.

Republicans are expected to easily dominate Nebraska's 3rd District, a sprawling seat that covers much of Western Nebraska. Republican Rep. Adrian Smith is seeking his 9th term. Based on his seniority, Smith would be in the running to replace retiring Republican Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

As for Democrats, farmer Dave Else and Dan Wik, a medical doctor, are squaring off to see who will challenge the Smith. Smith has won his last two races by at least 50 percentage points.