Nebraska governor won’t call special session to change state to winner-take-all after lack of GOP support in senate

In a statement, Pillen said, "Given everything at stake for Nebraska and our country, we have left every inch on the field to get this done," CNN reported.

"Unfortunately, we could not persuade 33 state senators. Senator Mike McDonnell of Omaha has confirmed he is unwilling to vote for winner-take-all before the 2024 election. That is profoundly disappointing to me and the many others who have worked so earnestly to ensure all Nebraskans’ votes are sought after equally this election."

He said that based on this lack of 33 votes, "I have no plans to call a special session on this issue prior to the 2024 election. I am grateful to the many Nebraskans who made their voices heard during this process."

On Monday evening, State Sen. Mike McDonnell, who switched from Democrat to Republican earlier in 2024, said he would not vote for the measure.

"After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change," McDonnell said. "I have notified Governor (Jim) Pillen that I will not change my long-held position and will oppose any attempted changes to our electoral college system before the 2024 election."

Nebraska is one of two states, the other being Maine, that are not winner-take-all states. Nebraska has a total of five electoral votes, awarding two electoral votes to the overall winner of the state, and then one electoral vote to the winner of each of the state's three districts. Nebraska District 3 covers the vast majority of the state, while districts 2 and 1 cover smaller areas in and around Omaha and Lincoln.

While in 2016 Trump won all five of Nebraska’s electoral college votes in 2016, he lost a vote to Biden in 2020 from Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, which covers Omaha and the immediate vicinity. CNN noted that if Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, won Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania but lost all other swing states, just one electoral vote from Nebraska would allow her to secure the required 270 votes.

On Monday evening, Trump wrote, "I would like to thank Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska for trying to help the Republican Party simplify the complexity of the State’s Electoral Map. It would have been better, and far less expensive, for everyone!

"Unfortunately, a Democrat turned Republican(?) State Senator named Mike McDonnell decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory. Just another “Grandstander!” Who knows, perhaps one of the others two Republicans that were a “NO” Vote will change their minds. In the meantime, thank you to Governor Pillen and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert (“I always preferred a winner take all allocation of Nebraska’s Electoral Votes!) for their hard work and effort. I LOVE OMAHA, and won it in 2016. Looks like I’ll have to do it again!!!"