Don Bacon Bio
Donald John Bacon, widely known as Don Bacon, is an American politician and retired United States Air Force brigadier general. A Republican, he has represented Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017, serving a region that includes Omaha and the communities surrounding Offutt Air Force Base. He is frequently described as a centrist and has gained a reputation for independent stances within the Republican Party.
Before entering Congress, Bacon spent 29 years in the Air Force, commanding wings at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. He retired in 2014 and later served as an aide to U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry and as an assistant professor at Bellevue University before launching his political career.
Don Bacon
Early Life and Background
Donald John Bacon was born on August 16, 1963, in Chicago Heights, Illinois, to Donald and Joan Bacon of Bourbonnais. The nickname “Bits” stayed with him from his early years. He grew up on a family farm in Momence, Illinois, where exposure to discipline and service shaped his future path. He graduated from Grace Baptist Academy in Kankakee in 1980.
Bacon attended Northern Illinois University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. During his senior year in 1984, he interned in the Washington, D.C., office of Representative Ed Madigan, an experience that introduced him to legislative work. He later completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Phoenix and a Master of Arts at the National War College, building a strong academic foundation alongside his military training.
Path to U.S. Politics
After college, Bacon commissioned through the Air Force Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in 1985. Over the following three decades, he served as a wing commander at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. He also served as a group and squadron commander at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, completed a tour as an expeditionary squadron commander in Iraq, and worked as a public affairs aide for General David Petraeus at the Pentagon.
Following his retirement from the Air Force in 2014, Bacon transitioned to civilian life. He served as an aide to U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry and taught at Bellevue University. These roles deepened his understanding of policy and constituent service and prepared him to run for office in his adopted home state of Nebraska.
Don Bacon Career
Early Career (2015-2016)
Don Bacon entered politics in 2015, when he began laying the groundwork for a congressional campaign in Nebraska’s 2nd district. The district, a primarily urban and suburban area covering parts of Douglas and Sarpy counties, was a perennial swing district. Bacon won the Republican primary in 2016 and faced Democratic incumbent Brad Ashford in the general election.
The general election was closely watched, with most observers calling it a tossup. Following the release of a controversial 2005 videotape involving Donald Trump, Bacon publicly stated that Trump should withdraw from the race in favor of another candidate. Despite those comments, Bacon narrowly defeated Ashford on November 8, 2016, with 48.9 percent of the vote to Ashford’s 47.7 percent, becoming the only Republican to defeat an incumbent Democrat in the 2016 House elections.
Congressional Tenure (2017-Present)
Bacon was sworn in to the 115th Congress in January 2017 and was reelected in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. During Donald Trump’s first term, he voted in line with Trump’s position about 89 percent of the time, while during the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency he voted with Biden about 29 percent of the time, reflecting his independent streak.
Following the 2022 midterm elections, Bacon announced he was willing to work with Democrats to elect a moderate Republican for House speaker. In 2023, the FBI revealed that Bacon was the first U.S. lawmaker targeted in a cyberespionage intrusion by Chinese government hackers, an attack that compromised campaign and personal email data. After a contentious 2023 speaker election, Bacon ultimately supported Mike Johnson’s successful bid for the role.
In June 2025, The New York Times reported that Bacon would not seek reelection in 2026, citing dysfunction in Washington, divisions within the Republican Party, and a desire to spend more time with his grandchildren. He was seated in the 119th Congress in January 2025 and has continued to serve as a senior member of the Armed Services and Agriculture committees.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bacon is widely recognized for his work on the Naming Commission, which stripped Defense Department assets of names valorizing the Confederacy, and for co-sponsoring the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act, which helped pave the way for the Emmett Till Antilynching Act signed into law in 2022. He was one of 35 Republicans who voted to establish the January 6 commission and was one of 37 Republicans who acknowledged Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
Don Bacon Career Wins
Across his congressional career, Don Bacon has won five elections in Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district, a notable feat in a competitive swing district. His wins include an upset of a Democratic incumbent in 2016 and four subsequent reelection victories, often by narrow margins against well-funded challengers.
Congressional Election Highlights
Bacon’s first victory in 2016 set the tone for his political brand as a moderate Republican capable of appealing to crossover voters. In 2018, he narrowly defeated progressive Democrat Kara Eastman with 51 percent of the vote, and he repeated that margin against Eastman in 2020 even as Joe Biden carried the district by about 6.5 points. In 2022, he won a close race against Nebraska state senator Tony Vargas, and in 2024 he defeated Vargas again in a rematch.
Other Wins and Achievements
Bacon was ranked the most effective Republican lawmaker in the 117th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking and placed fourth most effective overall. In 2023, the Lugar Center ranked him eighth in bipartisanship among House members, underscoring his willingness to work across the aisle on legislation ranging from defense policy to civil rights.
Don Bacon Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Don Bacon married Angie Hardison in 1984, and the couple has four children and eight grandchildren. They make their home in Papillion, Nebraska. Bacon is a Protestant, and his faith has remained a steady part of his public identity throughout his career in the Air Force and in Congress.
When he announced in 2025 that he would not seek reelection in 2026, one of the reasons he gave was the desire to spend more time with his grandchildren, a decision that reflected the central role family has played in his life.