By Kayla Laird
As the electoral votes poured in to the media, the UNO Republicans were eagerly awaiting the results at the Jo McCain office in Council Bluffs.
Not only were they hoping for Sen. John McCain to win the presidency, but they also hoped for a Lee Terry victory in what had become a much-heated and unusually close battle with opponent Jim Esch.
UNO Republicans, as well as the nation, have recognized the importance in winning the 2nd District electoral vote. Nebraska’s Douglas County had the attention of the entire nation, after being named second among the 25 most important counties to watch on politico.com.
This is because Nebraska is one of only two states that award an electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district instead of awarding them all to the statewide vote winner. In a presidential race expected to be close, the 2nd District could be the deciding factor.
Dayton Headlee, an active member of the UNO Republicans and the student government, said he expected Nebraska to heavily factor into the results of the national election.
"Douglas County now has a higher majority of registered Democrats, but Republicans have always turned out in higher voting numbers,” Headlee said.
With many issues facing nominees, the economy may be the most important, Headlee said. The UNO Republicans are pushing for a president and U.S. representative with experience who can create a prosperous America.
They think McCain and Rep. Terry can provide that.
Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign focus has been on young voters and minorities. “Young people have definitely been a base for Obama,” Headlee said. “He’s seen as cool, popular, charismatic and a good speaker. It’s an easy bandwagon to follow.”
