Obama Wins Nebraska Electoral Vote

OMAHA, Neb. — President-elect Barack Obama won one of Nebraska's electoral votes, the first time in history that the state has split its votes and the first time in 44 years that it had given a vote to a Democrat.

After remaining ballots were counted Friday, Obama had a 3,325-vote lead over Republican John McCain in unofficial results for the 2nd Congressional District. Nebraska and Maine are the two states that divide their electoral votes by congressional districts.

Obama, who won the White House last week, has 365 electoral votes to McCain's 162. Missouri, with 11 electoral votes, is still too close to call. Election officials in that state have until Tuesday to finish counting.

The last Democrat to win Nebraska was Lyndon B. Johnson, who carried the state in 1964.

A 1991 state law allows Nebraska to divide its five electoral votes. Two go to the statewide winner and one is awarded from each of the state's three congressional districts.

McCain comfortably won the electoral votes tied to the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts. He also won the statewide race with about 57 percent of the vote in preliminary returns.

Obama aggressively sought the one electoral vote. He opened three campaign offices in the district and had 16 paid staff during the campaign.

As of Friday's unofficial results for the district, Obama has a total of 138,892 votes and McCain 135,567 votes. The Obama lead of 3,325 is far higher than the recount threshold of about 1,389, or 1 percent of Obama's total.

Comments

[RebelAlliance]

M A N D A T E !

[scjk67]

well there we have it a "LANDSLIDE!!!!!" AND AGAIN IN 2012!!!!!

[unfairman]

This is a bigger deal than you realize.

I believe this is the first time in US history a state has split its electoral vote. There are those who would like all states allocate electoral votes by congressional district (which is a reasonable reform), but there are also some who just do it in select states like California (which is not reasonable).

This needs to be challenged. In this year where Nebraska's one electoral vote doesn't change the outcome, a member of congress needs to stand up and object to Nebraska's precedent-setting vote, staring the process of an eventual supreme court ruling. This should be dealt with now before it becomes a true constitutional crisis.

[Grunty1]

The splitting does indeed seem more fair, but it must be done in all states, not just a handful.

[midwesthousewife]

There was an article saying that in the early 1800s many states split the electoral vote. The parties changed the system because they liked the winner-take-all way of doing things. It certainly would make it more difficult and expensive to campaign when a politician must court all the different constituencies in every state. What I don't know is why Nebraska chose to change its system in 1991. I was living elsewhere for a while at that time. Anyone able to say why the state changed?

[Smurfysax]

Let's just all remember that when the dust settles, we still need to try to bring this country together. We Dems won the election decisively, but we shouldn't rub it in the face of Repubs as a general rule. Well, okay those of the likes of Hannity, O'Riley, Rush and idiots like them should feel the pain. However, we should try to embrace those that may not think and feel the way we do but may still have common interests.

[Grunty1]

[ and idiots like them ]

So it is ok to rub it in the faces of the tr0lls :-)

[scully09]

woooo woooo woooooo weeeeeee yeah go Nebraska!!!!!!!

[TheGuide]

I mean LANDSLIDE!!!

[TheGuide]

Landside.

[RJII]

thank you NE

[notafearmonger]

Wonderful!! Yes we can!! Yes we did!! It's a New Day!!

[Cliffman]

When are we going to find out who won Missouri?

[SHOPARAZZI]

officially? tuesday.

[GrkAm]

History making every day. Way to go!

[Terriac]

I've lived in Omaha, Nebraska for a little over five years, after being born and raised in Southern California. It makes me feel great that the second district went blue. Now if we could just get the rest of the state . . .

[newpotusplease]

when is Missouri gonna finalize their votes?!

you'd think they had the population of India and China....what gives?

[MilesTone]

Does it even matter at this point?

[ABCD]

Yes. Every vote counts.

[timothyi]

It matters because the right wing noise machine is already asserting that Obama doesn't have a mandate, because of his narrow margin of victory. Yes they are delusional and/or dishonest, especially because they couldn't shut up about Bush's tremendous mandate when he lost the popular vote and half the country didn't agree that he had won the electoral vote.

[jbeach]

Yep. More for the mandate.

[misty1]

change change change

[mero909]

change what?

[j0em0mma]

name it. we're going to have to be agile just keeping from getting smashed by the stupid thing as it collapses around us.