The Democratic primary in Nebraska's 2nd District remained too close to call hours after the polls closed Tuesday night, with nonprofit executive Kara Eastman holding a narrow lead over former Rep. Brad Ashford in the initial vote count.
Eastman led Ashford by 569 votes Tuesday night, 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press. Under Nebraska law, a margin of 1 percentage point or less triggers an automatic recount.
Eastman spokeswoman Heather Aliano said after midnight Wednesday that the campaign had not yet received word of a recount since votes were still being counted. But Aliano added that the team was "cautiously optimistic."
GOP incumbent Don Bacon ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Bacon unseated Ashford in 2016 by 1 point, while President Donald Trump was carrying the district by 2 points.
Ashford had the backing of national Democratic leaders, including his former colleagues in Congress who donated to his campaign. He had also been added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program and was viewed as a strong challenger to Bacon.
Eastman said last week that her campaign had been focusing on its ground game, reaching out to Democratic voters Omaha-based 2nd District. She stressed that health care remained a top issue on voters' minds, noting her support for "Medicare-for-All" legislation.
A first-time candidate, Eastman said she was inspired to run for Congress by her mother's battle with cancer and the extremely costly prescription drugs that she struggled to afford.
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the general election contest Tilts Republican.
