Former President Donald Trump is actively seeking a Republican primary challenger for incumbent Rep. Don Bacon in Nebraska.
“Anyone want to run for Congress against Don Bacon in Nebraska?” Trump asked in a widely distributed statement reported by Mediaite Monday.
Bacon was 1 of 13 Republicans that voted for President Joe Bidens and Democrat’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law earlier this year and represents a Nebraska district Trump lost by a large margin in 2020, according to the article.
According to The Hill, Bacon won his 2020 race in Nebraska’s 2nd District by almost five points, where Trump lost the same district, and one electoral vote, by more than six points.
It is not the first time Trump has targeted Bacon and called for a Republican to challenge him.
The Omaha World-Herald reported in December that Trump views the three-term Congressman as a “RINO,” meaning “Republican in name only,” and is on his list of Republicans in Congress that should be replaced.
Bacon’s campaign responded to the former president in the newspaper’s story.
“While the former President is entitled to his views, our team will continue to meet with constituents and leaders from across the district and make our case for re-election,” the campaign told the publication. “We look forward to helping Republicans take back the House and secure a majority in 2022.”
Bacon is just one of several Republicans in races where Trump is endorsing alternative candidates.
Republican Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts meanwhile, came out to defend Bacon in a statement, Omaha World-Herald reported.
“Rep. Don Bacon has served our country honorably; he has done a good job serving the 2nd Congressional District, and has earned their trust time after time,” the statement said. “The Governor is proud to support him. He is unaware of any challenger and doesn’t expect a credible one to emerge.”
Currently, no Republicans in the state seem interested in challenging Bacon, while three Democrats are seeking that party’s nomination to oppose him.
According to Ballotpedia, the three Democrats in the race are Cornelius Williams, Alisha Shelton, and state Sen. Tony Vargas.
Those candidates will face off in the Democrat primary on May 10.
Bacon, a military veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force, including four deployments to Iraq, retired as a brigadier general after 30 years of service, according to his biography on his official congressional web page.
