 The sudden emphasis on Nebraska's electoral vote system shows how much sway Trump and his loyalists hold in the Republican Party, said University of Nebraska Lincoln political scientist Ari Cohen. Really? We needed a professor at University of Nebraska to tell us how much sway Donald Trump has over the Republican Party? Fascinating. And how effectively they are exerting pressure on fellow Republicans to bolster Trump. Cohen noted that Pillen, who began his term as governor last year, has not campaigned on it, but he has.