House Majority PAC (D) shifts money from Kara Eastman (NE-02) to Cindy Axne (IA-03)

WASHINGTON — A key Democratic super PAC has opted to devote its final-stage Omaha ad spending in support of Iowa House candidate Cindy Axne rather than Kara Eastman.

The House Majority PAC is set to spend $228,000 on broadcast advertising and $18,000 on cable advertising in the Omaha market in the coming weeks.

Those ads could have supported Eastman, the former nonprofit executive running against incumbent GOP Rep. Don Bacon in Nebraska’s 2nd District.

Instead, the PAC has decided to spend its ad money on Axne, who is running against incumbent GOP Rep. David Young in Iowa’s 3rd District, which includes Council Bluffs.

“We make a lot of spending decisions across an incredibly expansive map for Democrats toward our goal of helping flip the House,” House Majority PAC Press Secretary Hannah Blatt said in a statement. “We’re doubling down on a critical and close race in IA-03.”

Republicans were quick to characterize the move as a white flag of surrender to Bacon.

“Don Bacon voted to cut taxes and strengthen our military, and Nebraskans are poised to reward him for it at the ballot box,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jack Pandol said in a statement. “National Democrats abandoning this district has everything to do with Don Bacon’s phenomenal work representing Nebraska in Congress.”

Democrats, however, characterized the shift as just getting money where it’s most needed and said that Eastman has more than enough in the bank to spread her closing message.

Eastman has an army of grass-roots supporters, an inspiring message and a well-funded campaign, said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Evan Lukaske.

“The DCCC has already spent six figures to support Kara’s campaign, and we look forward to continuing to work with her to win this November,” Lukaske said.

Democrats also pointed to the $1.25 million Eastman reported raising in the third quarter. Bacon, meanwhile, raised about $550,000 during the same quarter, July 1 to Sept. 30.


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