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

[Zillacabra]

Since Nebraska forms a "bridge" between Colorado and Iowa, it looks like Obama has pulled off a modern day miracle - parting the red state sea.

[j0em0mma]

LOL

[missylol]

As a born and raised in Nebraska, spending most of my life there and now living in California; it is such a joy to see Big Red with just a little blue. Go Big Red and Little Blue!

[iQuack08]

365 EVs! That's a nice symbolic number.

[whiteboyblues]

And Rove said Obama did a little better than Bush in 2004.... hahahaha!

[Photofarm]

I was wondering what the electoral college vote would look like if all the states were set up like Nebraska where each congressional district would send its' vote to the winner of the congresional district.

[iPolitics]

As Omaha's electoral district goes...goe­s the country

[Ajegunle]

LOL

[johnnygoodwud]

nate silver= mr. wizzard

[SoAppropos]

I'm a Nebraskan and YES WE DID!!!!!

[chelseafc]

Excellent news, but does YES WE DID logically follow on from YES WE CAN? If we start with "yes we can", the next step would be "yes we were able to" and "yes we did" would follow on from "yes we are doing". But "yes we did" is a much more pithy slogan to put on a bumper sticker. P.S. That Palin person is a complete nutjob.

[j0em0mma]

It should be "Yes we are!"

[j0em0mma]

w00000T! gratz Nebraska!

[mero909]

Hope you don't regret it.

[j0em0mma]

hm GOP = Stolen election, Iraq War, Katrina, Devastated EPA, 12 Trillion Dollar debt, Wall Street Bailout and Financial Crisis....

bet SoAppropos won't be regretting it ;)

[Lombard1006]

I am from Omaha! This is fantastic. The turnout here was amazing and the grassroots effort to get people to register and vote was second to none. A big thank you to everyone who organized and volunteered. It's only one electoral vote but from this part of the country, it sure is sweet.

[Trogenhorse]

We worked hard for that ev! Here's hoping we can do it again in 2012!!! It feels good to be counted in a state that disregards any dems. Maybe next time there will be effort on the other side of the state

[IslandGyal]

Thank you Nebraskans.

[Hemkit]

Take that Karl Rove

[marymansour]

This election was a smack down. YES WE DID!

[grantlingel]

Keep them coming... I'm looking forward to the 11 from Missouri as well.. the more the merrier... landslide 08!
http://grantlingel.blogspot.com

[grizhead63]

Unbelievable. Many Thanks Nebraskans!!!