Nebraska Republicans widen lead in latest registration stats, though Democrats gain in cities

Graciela Sharif, at left, assists Teresa Lopez, center, register to vote for the first time in 2016 at the South Omaha Library while Mary Ann Sturek assists Dwain Roos, at far right, fill out a form. The state now has 1,219,644 voters registered, a record.

MEGAN SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD

By Aaron Sanderford

Democrat Kara Eastman hopes the oft-predicted blue wave helps her defeat U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. in the Omaha area’s congressional race by exciting Democrats who might otherwise stay home.

Bacon hopes the Republican edge in Sarpy County and a slimmer voter registration advantage in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District secure him a second term in the House.

Going into Tuesday’s election, the question is which trends will matter most — national polarization pushing voters to increasingly hew to party lines or an increasing party preference gap between urban and rural voters.

Republican voter registrations in Nebraska have grown 5.5 times faster than Democrats since 2014, driven by rural areas. Democrats are gaining ground in urban areas, powered by registration increases in Omaha and Lincoln.

FULL story: https://www.omaha.com/news/plus/nebraska-republicans-widen-lead-in-latest-registration-stats-though-democrats/article_fc080e81-32a3-5525-92af-7f5d02f6b800.html