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Osborn Launches Second Independent Senate Challenge Against Pete Ricketts

His campaign underscores a populist push for working-class representation in deep-red Nebraska.

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Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn speaks during a news conference in Omaha, Nebraska on May 15, 2024.
Nebraska independent Dan Osborn, left, will challenge GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts in a second Senate run.
Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn speaks during his campaign stop at the Handlebend in O'Neill, Neb., on Oct. 14, 2024.

Overview

  • Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and Navy veteran, officially announced his independent bid for Nebraska’s 2026 Senate seat held by Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts.
  • He is running on a working-class populist message and has pledged not to caucus with either the Democratic or Republican party if elected.
  • Republicans have already rolled out attack ads and social-media posts branding him a Democratic proxy, drawing on his 2024 funding from Democratic-aligned groups.
  • Ricketts’s campaign highlights his record on border security and tax relief and has secured President Trump’s endorsement ahead of the general election next year.
  • Osborn’s challenge could influence the Senate’s slim 53-47 Republican majority by testing whether an independent can overcome Nebraska’s deep GOP lean.