NE · Candidate
Brinker Harding
RCandidate
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: U.S. House · Nebraska's 2nd District
Biography
Brinker Harding is an Omaha City Council member since 2017, a commercial real estate professional, and a former Chief of Staff to Omaha Mayor Hal Daub. He is the Republican nominee for the open 2nd District seat. He is running on economic growth, reducing federal spending, and border security, citing his record balancing Omaha's city budget.[1][2][3]
Harding is a fourth-generation Omahan who, according to the Flatwater Free Press, attended Westside High School and graduated from Deerfield Academy, a boarding school in Massachusetts.[3][6] BallotReady lists a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas (1984), and Flatwater describes his business studies at the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.[4][6] He worked in marketing for the Omaha Royals baseball team for two years before entering politics in 1994 as finance director of Daub's mayoral campaign.[6]
From 1995 to 2000 Harding served as Chief of Staff and Director of Economic Development to Mayor Daub; his campaign website says the office formed public-private partnerships for riverfront parks, the CHI Convention Center and the Dodge Expressway.[3][2] He then worked in commercial real estate, including at Colliers International, and BallotReady also lists a vice president role at Grubb & Ellis.[1][4][6]
Harding has served on the Omaha City Council representing District 6 since 2017, and his term runs through 2029.[1][4] According to his campaign website, he has voted as a council member to lower Omaha's property tax levy three times and has worked on projects including the Gene Leahy Mall, a library at 72nd and Dodge, and the Heartwood Preserve development.[3] He describes himself as a business leader who developed public-private partnerships to grow Omaha's economy.[2] Harding was the only candidate on the May 12, 2026 Republican primary ballot for the open 2nd District seat.[5] His campaign website says he is married to Rebecca and that they have two daughters, Elizabeth and Grace.[3]
- 1.Brinker Harding · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.Brinker Harding's 2026 campaign website, quoted verbatim · Brinker Harding 2026 campaign website (via Ballotpedia) · 2026-07-22 Candidate's own words
- 3.About Brinker · Brinker Harding for Congress Candidate's own words
- 4.Brinker Harding · BallotReady Reference
- 5.United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 6.Republican Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding aims to win 2nd District House seat · Flatwater Free Press · 2026-10-15 News report
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.