Why Today’s Special Election In Nebraska Is So Weird
Nebraska isn’t holding any primaries tonight, but it will host our sole general election of the evening: a special election for the 1st Congressional District, which became vacant when former Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry resigned after being convicted of lying to federal investigators. Republicans should easily hold this safely red seat, but the election is still notable because of a legal quirk: It will be the first congressional election anywhere in the nation to be held under the new, post-2020-census district lines.
Normally, special elections are held under the old lines because they are to complete the term of a member of Congress elected in 2020 — i.e., under the old lines. But Nebraska’s new congressional map went into effect immediately after it was signed, creating an unusual situation where the voters of the new 1st District will elect someone to represent the voters of the old 1st District. This actually may be illegal, since the 75,430 people who live in the old 1st District but not the new one will effectively be disenfranchised. But the election is proceeding anyway.