Election Day, Nov 3 6 daysSenate D 85%House D 97%Governors D 86%Forecast updated Oct 28
2026 forecast · Nebraska 1st

Chris Backemeyer and Mike Flood are in a toss up for Nebraska's 1st District.

Chris Backemeyer vs Mike Flood. The model has Backemeyer ahead by 1.3 points, winning 58 percent of 2,000 simulated elections.

Toss upModel D +1.3Polls R +0.0Updated October 28, 2026
Chris Backemeyer
Democrat
49.7%
127,387 projected votes
Mike Flood
Republican
48.5%
124,117 projected votes
58%Backemeyer
42%Flood
Backemeyer slightly favoredEach square is one simulated election night, Backemeyer wins about 58 of 100
RatingToss up58% chance for Backemeyer
Model marginD +1.3Polls R +0.0
80 percent rangeD +9.3 to R +7.12,000 simulations
Projected votes256,162Backemeyer 49.7%

The district map

Every district in the state, shaded by its rating

Nebraska districts

3 districts
Safe DLikely DLean DToss upLean RLikely RSafe R

Vote share

Each candidate's projected share and the range of 80 percent of simulations

Chris BackemeyerDemocrat · 58% to win
49.7%
Mike FloodRepublican · 42% to win
48.5%

Scale runs from 25 to 75 percent. The dot is the forecast, the band is the 80 percent range and the brighter tick marks 50 percent.

Projected district vote

256,162 votes
CandidateVotesShare
Chris Backemeyer D127,38749.7%
Mike Flood R124,11748.5%
Nik Sandman L4,6581.8%
Total256,162100%

Each candidate's expected vote in the On Point simulation, at the forecast's projected turnout.

The trend

Each side's chance of winning over the forecast's recent updates

0%25%50%75%100%58% Backemeyer42% Flood16 updates agoToday

Polling

Every poll in the average, and how the model reads it

The Nebraska governor polling average
28%30%32%34%36%38%40%42%44%46%48%50%MayJunJulAugSepOct41.6Walz46.1Pillen
The line is the On Point average: a robust LOWESS fit through the polls, weighted by recency, sample, voter screen and pollster grade, refit three times so outliers count for lessDot size is each poll's weight todayHollow dot: a lean firm's poll as published; the filled dot is where the average counts it, after its measured lean is taken offHover or use the arrow keys to read any day
What moves the average today
Global Strategy Group for Walz (D)Oct 18 · 800 LV · A- · D lean, counted Pillen +3.0 in the average17%Pillen +1.1
Echelon Insights for NetChoiceOct 23 · 407 LV · B16%Pillen +7.0
National Public AffairsOct 18 · 598 LV · NR16%Pillen +6.0
YouGovOct 3 · 1,809 LV · C15%Pillen +1.0
co/efficient (R)Sep 30 · 1,113 LV · C+14%Pillen +5.0
National Public AffairsOct 5 · 800 LV · NR11%Pillen +4.0
Every other poll together: 11%

This is the same On Point polling average as the full average page. The forecast reads the polls through its own Election Day projection, shown as the On Point average in the table below, and blends it with partisan lean and fundamentals.

Polls of the race

Full average
PollsterSampleAgeMargin
On Point averageWeighted averageR +0.0

Each margin is the poll as the pollster published it. The forecast counts every poll after its house effect and the undecided split, which is what the trail above shows; hover a margin for the counted value. Lean R and Lean D mark partisan leaning firms.

Model margin
Backemeyer +1.3
Chance of winning
Chris Backemeyer58%
Mike Flood42%
Simulated vote
Chris Backemeyer49.7%
Mike Flood48.5%
Nik Sandman1.8%
How the model gets there
Partisan leanD +13.0
FundamentalsD +4.9
With pollsD +1.3

How we got here

From the state's partisan lean to the forecast, one stage at a time

D +16R +16Partisan leanthe state's baselineD +13.0Fundamentalsapproval, economy, candidatesD +4.9With pollsaverage R +0.0D +1.3
On Point on YouTubeThe Nebraska House race, explained on YouTubeForecast breakdowns, the polls and election night coverage on the On Point channel.Subscribe
Methodology
Every county is rebuilt by simulating voters going to the polls, 2,000 times, from On Point Polling survey data, past results, and the polling average. How the model works.