reported this weekend. His decision is squarely against Trump’s wishes and that of his Republican governor, Jim Pillen, who said he’d call a special legislative session to vote on the issue if he knew he had enough votes to pass it through. However, because of McDonnell and those under his influence, Pillen—and by extension Trump—simply doesn’t have the votes.
There was a meeting held Wednesday on the matter in Lincoln, the Times reported. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) made the trip to attend in person while Trump reportedly called in to the meeting to “express his desire for the change.”
McDonnell said Monday that he personally wrote Pillen to make his position clear: “I will not change my long-held position and will oppose any attempted changes to our electoral college system before the 2024 election.”
The statement shared by Mike McDonnell on Monday.
State Sen. Mike McDonnell
The local lawmaker added that he believes any changes in how Nebraska allots its electoral votes should be decided by the voters themselves—not a surprise amendment at the 11th hour in a presidential election year.
Trump did not immediately react to McDonnell’s decision on Monday afternoon. However, the leader of Nebraska Democratic Party, Jane Kleeb, thanked McDonnell for “standing strong.”
“Nebraska has a long and proud tradition of independence, and our electoral system reflects that by ensuring that the outcome of our elections truly represents the will of the people without interference,” she said.
Election map showing a not-so-impossible Electoral College tie that could have taken place if Nebraska switched to a winner-take-all system that was won by Donald Trump.
270 To Win
While a single electoral vote may seem insignificant on the surface, there’s a not-so-impossible scenario where Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional district could determine whether Harris narrowly wins the election or finishes tied with Trump at 269.
That scenario, laid out by the Times, would come into play if Harris carries the so-called “blue wall” of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, but loses the western and southern swing states of Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
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