Key House GOP moderate Don Bacon won’t seek re-election

A House GOP centrist from a key battleground district, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., announced Monday that he will not seek re-election next year. 

“After 30 years in the Air Force and 10 years in Congress, it’s time to spend my future with the love of my life, our four kids, and our wonderful grandchildren. Thank you, Nebraska!” Bacon announced Monday. 

Bacon’s announcement comes as Congress works overtime to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” by their self-imposed July 4 deadline. Through the reconciliation process, the megabill seeks to deliver on the president’s key campaign promises, including tax cuts, immigration reform and energy production. 

The moderate Republican has built a reputation for bucking Trump’s agenda in the House. While Bacon ultimately voted with his Republican colleagues to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last month, the Nebraska Republican had concerns about the impact of proposed Medicaid cuts. 

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Bacon indicated earlier this month that he would vote against the White House’s rescission proposal if it cuts an AIDS relief program. Last month, he was the only Republican who voted against a House bill to make Trump’s name change for the Gulf of America permanent. Bacon, a loyal Ukraine supporter, has also criticized Trump’s position on its war with Russia. 

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Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced Sunday he would also not seek re-election next year. Like Bacon, Tillis has been willing to buck Trump and the Republican Party on key issues, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Tillis was one of just two Republicans who voted against a procedural vote on the bill in the Senate this weekend. 

Bacon has represented Nebraska’s second congressional district since 2017. He won re-election in 2024 by less than two percentage points. 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris won his district by almost five percentage points in 2024. Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its Electoral College votes in presidential elections by congressional district. 

Bacon’s congressional district was already a high-target House seat for Democrats ahead of the competitive 2026 midterm elections. 

“The writing has been on the wall for months,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Spokesperson Madison Andrus said on Friday. 

“Nebraskans are tired of the false promises that Republicans are trying to sell, and they want real results. Don Bacon’s decision to not seek reelection in 2026 is the latest vote of no-confidence for House Republicans and their electoral prospects. Next November, Nebraskans are going to elect a Democrat who will actually deliver for them,” Andrus added.