Trump talks to Nebraska senator during Pillen’s winner-take-all campaign

LINCOLN — Former President Donald Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with at least one of the two dozen Republican state senators who attended Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s winner-take-all meeting at the governor’s mansion. .

Tuesday, January 18, 2022, at the Nebraska Governor’s Mansion in Lincoln. (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)

The governor called the meeting, which focused on potential boycotters including freshman Republican Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, to support changes to how Nebraska awards Electoral College votes in presidential elections. ). U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham was also a guest at the conference.

Republicans at the meeting said McDonough signaled he wanted to find a way to get “consent” but also expressed some concerns. On Thursday, he told the Nebraska Examiner through a spokesman that “as of today,” he still has not voted.

The senator, who once led the Omaha firefighters union, left the Democratic Party last spring after casting the decisive vote that helped Republicans pass a stricter abortion ban. Nebraska now bans most abortions after 12 weeks of gestation. He switched parties a month after being censured by Nebraska Democrats.

Ripe talks with Trump

Ralston Sen. Merv Riepe, who attended Pillen’s gathering, confirmed to the Examiner on Friday that he was called to a separate meeting with Pillen and Graham in the governor’s office at the mansion .

State Senator Merv Riepe of Ralston. July 25, 2024.

He said Pillen and Graham talked with him about the importance of ensuring Trump gets all five of Nebraska’s Electoral College votes. National polls continue to show a tight race between Trump and Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Graham called Trump, and Rippe said Trump talked to him for a minute or two about the importance of winning the election and said he knew who Rippe was. Rippe, a former hospital administrator, said his conversation with Trump reminded him of the bustling scene when the hospital hosted singer Johnny Cash.

“I think they just wanted me to know that he thought it was important to make changes, and they wanted me to feel like he was personally involved in it,” Ripe said of Trump.

The Trump campaign had no immediate comment on the call. The Harris campaign declined to comment.

Republicans want change

Republicans hope to make the change during this year’s special session, which Pillen promised he would convene soon if 33 senators publicly commit to supporting the change. Republicans need so many people to overcome the promised filibuster.

Governor Jim Pillen holds a news conference at West Point Village. August 29, 2024.

Nebraska and Maine are the only two states that award one Electoral College vote to the winner of each congressional district and two votes to the winner of the statewide presidential popular vote. The other 48 states award all their electoral votes to the statewide winner.

In a close race, the electoral votes from Omaha, Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District could make a difference. It’s a slightly right-leaning swing district that has been won twice by Republicans and twice by Democrats in the past four presidential elections.

Ripe said Trump did not make threatening remarks. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the call. This is at least the second time this year that Trump has discussed winner-take-all with the Nebraska senator.

State Sen. Tom Brewer, who represents north-central Nebraska, told several of his colleagues last spring that Trump called his committee to move forward with a winner-take-all approach. bill. A Trump spokesman denied at the time that he had made the call.

MacDonald also met with Pillen and Graham

Rippey wasn’t the only person who met privately with Pillen and Graham on Wednesday. He said he saw MacDonald walking down the hallway to meet them. MacDonald confirmed through a spokesman that he spoke with Pillen and Graham.

Omaha state Sen. Mike McDonald. August 5, 2024.

“Mike did pass him in the hallway and met privately with the governor and Graham,” McDonough spokesman Barry Rubin said. “But (former) President Trump and Senator McDonough never said Talk.”

McDonald hopes to run for Omaha mayor as early as 2025. Democrat John Ewing is also running.

Stothert told the Examiner on Friday that she supports a winner-take-all approach. Ewing said he supports the current system of allocating electoral votes by congressional district.