Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., talks with reporters after a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
Rep. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican in Nebraska, is preparing to announce his retirement from Congress.
Bacon’s retirement from Congress creates a ripe opportunity for Democrats to win the House seat representing Bacon’s Omaha district.
In an election cycle where the House majority could be decided by just one or two seats, Democrats will need to flip several Republican-held seats like the one in Nebraska’s 2nd District.
With Bacon out, the GOP no longer has an incumbent advantage.
The formal announcement could come as early as next week, NBC reported on Friday night. NOTUS and Punchbowl News first reported Bacon’s plans, which are not unexpected.
A spokesperson for Bacon did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment Saturday morning.
Bacon represents a key battleground district for Nebraska, which includes most of Omaha.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris won Bacon’s district by nearly 5 percentage points in 2024, and former President Joe Biden carried Bacon’s district by a larger margin in 2020.
Bacon is one of the few congressional Republicans who have been openly critical of President Donald Trump.