JUST IN: RINO Congressman Will Not Seek Re-Election In 2026

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) disclosed Friday that he will not be seeking re-election to Congress for a sixth term in the upcoming midterm elections. With Bacon’s retirement, the seat will become one of the most attractive flip targets for Democrats in 2026.

Bacon, who has represented Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District since 2017, is planning to make a formal announcement as early as next week. The announcement is expected to coincide with the hopeful passage of the Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill,” two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The congressman’s district, which encompasses much of the Omaha metropolitan area, is expected to become one of most likely flip targets for Democrats next year as they seek to regain control of the House. Bacon first won the district by less than 5,000 votes in 2016 and has managed to win a number of tight races since then, despite its partisan lean.

According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, NE-02 currently has a partisan lean of D+3. Former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by four percentage points in 2024, while Bacon managed to hold on once again by a little under 6,000 votes.

Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican, also managed to carry the county in the state’s special election to fill the seat that was previously held by former Senator Ben Sasse, who retired in 2023.

RIGA, LATVIA. 17th July 2024. Don Bacon (at photo), during meeting with Evika Silina, Prime Minister of Latvia.US Congress delegation visit at Cabinet of Ministers.

Prior to entering politics, Bacon served as a general in the United States Air Force. He served as a Wing Commander at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and at Offutt Air Base in his native Nebraska.

Throughout his tenure in the House, Bacon has garnered a reputation as one of the more moderate members of the Republican caucus. He voted with former President Biden’s agenda about 30 percent of the time, though he did vote against a number of the former president’s signature pieces of legislation, including “Build Back Better.”

The congressman did vote to establish a congressional committee to investigate the January 6 Capitol protests and recently suggested that he would back legislation aimed at stripping the president of his ability to implement tariffs. Bacon also floated the idea of voting with Democrats to select a new speaker after Kevin McCarthy was ousted in 2022, though he ultimately supported current Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

The congressman has also been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s handling of the conflict in Ukraine and has long lobbied for increased support for the beleaguered nation.