“California would never do this,” he said. “New York would never do this. And as long as that’s the case, neither should we.”
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has announced that he would sign a bill that would return the state to an electoral college winner-take-all model. His announcement on Tuesday came after The Charlie Kirk Show called on Nebraskans to contact Pillen's office and ask him to support the bill.
"Suppose Donald Trump flips Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada next fall, as current polls all show him doing. Would he win the presidency? Not quite. In fact, if Trump flips those three states and no others, he loses by exactly ONE electoral vote," Kirk wrote on X.
The reason, he said, is the state of Nebraska, which is one of the few Republican states to award electoral votes by Congressional district instead of state-wide.
"Thanks to this system," Kirk said, "Omaha's electoral vote leans blue: Obama won it in 2008, and Biden won it in 2020. He's likely to win it again this year.
"California would never do this," he said. "New York would never do this. And as long as that's the case, neither should we. This is completely fixable. Nebraska's legislature can act to make sure their state's electoral votes go towards electing the candidate the VAST majority of Nebraskans prefer. There's already a bill ready to go - LB764. All Nebraska has to do is put it up for a vote.
"As I write this, the Nebraska legislature is still in session. Nebraskans should call their legislators and their governor to demand their state stop pointlessly giving strength to their political enemies."
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View on XThe bill, still in committee, has not yet moved into the broader House, but if it does, Pillen has vowed to back it.
"I am a strong supporter of Senator Lippincott's winner-take-all bill," Pillen said in a statement, "and have been from the start. It would bring Nebraska into line with 48 of our fellow states, better reflect the founder's intent, and ensure our state speaks with one unified voice in presidential elections."
In closing, he said "I call upon fellow Republicans in the Legislature to pass this bill to my desk so I can sign it into law."
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View on XNebraska's primary is on May 14 and the state's 5 electoral votes hang in the balance.
President and anticipated GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump responded on Truth Social, saying "A very smart letter from Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska."
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