Dan Osborn launches independent Nebraska Senate bid against incumbent Pete Ricketts

Dan Osborn – the populist, independent union leader who drew national attention for his Senate bid in 2024 – announced that he will make another run for Senate against U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts.

In an announcement on Facebook, Osborn railed against Ricketts, who he portrays as an out-of-touch billionaire and calls “Wall Street Pete.” Osborn presented himself as a down-to-earth independent who entered politics to represent working people.

“I’m running for Senate because Congress shouldn’t just be a playground for the rich,” he said in the Facebook video. “We gotta make things more affordable, secure the border and take on the corruption in Washington.”

Osborn ran as an independent against U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024 and came away with about 46.5% of the vote to Fischer’s 53%. The race drew national attention after polls promised a close contest – and though the polls overestimated the closeness of the race, it was a strong showing for an non-Republican candidate in Nebraska. He came out on top in Douglas (58%), Lancaster (58%), Sarpy (50%) and Thurston (53%) Counties.

The Ricketts-Osborn race is likely to draw just as much national attention as the 2024 contest – if not more – and big money from national donors. Osborn said in a statement that he expects Ricketts to throw “hundreds of thousands of dollars” into the race.

Ricketts, a two-term former Nebraska governor, was appointed to the Senate in 2023 after former Sen. Ben Sasse left for a short tenure as the President at the University of Florida. He handily won a special election last year to complete Sasse’s six-year term.

In a written statement, Ricketts’ campaign said Osborn is “bought and paid for by his liberal, out-of-state, coastal donors” and said he will “side with Chuck Schumer over Nebraska families.” President Donald Trump endorsed Ricketts in April after Osborn released the exploratory polling.

It isn't yet clear if a Democratic candidate will also enter the 2026 field. As of Tuesday, none had filed with the Federal Elections commission. The Nebraska Democratic Party was critical of Osborn in the 2024 race, but did not run a Senate candidate.