Lindsey Graham visits Nebraska on behalf of Trump marketing campaign to push for electoral vote change

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., met Wednesday with Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and about two dozen Republican legislators to debate how the state allocates its electoral votes, based on a supply with direct data of the journey.

Graham, performing on behalf of the Trump marketing campaign, was working to encourage Pillen to name a particular legislative session at which lawmakers might contemplate altering the state’s apportionment of electoral votes, the supply mentioned.

Nebraska allocates its electoral votes by congressional district. The swing district round Omaha typically goes to Democrats in an in any other case ruby crimson state.

Wednesday’s assembly, beforehand reported by KOLN-TV, came about in Lincoln. Graham’s workplace confirmed the native report however declined to remark additional.

If Nebraska had been to change to a winner-take-all system, it might virtually definitely give former President Donald Trump an additional electoral vote in what is predicted to be a decent presidential race.

That one electoral vote might show decisive.

If Vice President Kamala Harris wins Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin but loses every other swing state, she and Trump could be tied at 269 Electoral Faculty votes beneath a winner-take-all setup in Nebraska with Trump profitable the state. In that state of affairs, the race could be thrown to the U.S. Home, the place every state delegation would get one vote for president. Republicans maintain a majority of delegations and are favored to retain it, though the Home majority might change fingers after the November election.

Pillen, a Republican, was “receptive” to Graham’s overtures Wednesday and indicated that he would name a particular session if he thought he had the votes, the supply mentioned.

Pillen has beforehand expressed that sentiment.

“As I’ve constantly made clear, I strongly assist statewide unity and becoming a member of 48 different states by awarding all 5 of our electoral school votes to the presidential candidate who wins nearly all of Nebraskans’ votes,” Pillen mentioned in a press release final week. “As I’ve additionally made clear, I’m prepared to convene the Legislature for a particular session to repair this 30-year-old drawback earlier than the 2024 election.”

He added that he has not but “obtained the concrete and public indication that 33 [state] senators would vote” for the winner-take-all system.

Supporters of the laws have lengthy mentioned they don’t but have sufficient backing to beat a procedural hurdle that has beforehand prevented the invoice from passing.

The Trump marketing campaign has not responded to questions on Graham’s function in Nebraska. Pillen’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Wednesday night time.

Trump has publicly pushed for the state to change to a winner-take-all system, saying this 12 months that it might be “proper for Nebraska.”

The trouble to maneuver the state to winner-take-all failed earlier this 12 months over procedural issues.

Maine is the one different state that doesn’t have a winner-take-all system for electoral votes. The Democratic state Home majority chief has said the state should consider switching to a winner-take-all electoral vote system itself as a counter if Nebraska strikes to vary its system.