By Katie Knapp
Omaha, NE – A local election expert doesn't expect Nebraska to go Democrat in November. Randy Adkins, the Chair of the Graduate Program at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Department of Political Science, says Nebraska has a long history of supporting Republican candidates.
Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic Presidential primary in Nebraska Tuesday, but the vote is largely symbolic. Nebraska Democrats caucused in February and officially selected Obama as the nominee.
Adkins says Nebraska's importance to this year's election depends on if you're looking at the Presidential race or Congressional contests. He says the Second Congressional District race could be very competitive, and significant if Democrat Jim Esch were to unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Lee Terry in November.
Adkins says it's possible a Congressional District might vote Democrat in November. But he doesn't expect that to happen statewide. He says Nebraska's long history of supporting Republicans means the Presidential candidates probably won't spend much time campaigning here.
Senator John McCain won Nebraska Tuesday in the state's Republican Presidential primary.