Nebraska independent Dan Osborn launches Senate bid after 2024 defeat

Washington — Independent Dan Osborn announced another bid to represent Nebraska in the Senate on Tuesday, challenging GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts after his loss in an unexpectedly competitive race against a Republican incumbent last year.

"There's nobody like us in the United States Senate," Osborn said in a campaign video announcing the bid Tuesday, touting his background as a mechanic, a Navy veteran, and a registered independent.

Osborn, 50, was a political newcomer when he launched his 2024 Senate bid. A union leader who led the strike at Omaha's Kellogg plant in 2021, his campaign received a surge of outside funding that forced Republicans to redouble their efforts in a race that was thought to be an easy win. Osborn went on to significantly outperform Kamala Harris in the deep-red state. But he ultimately lost to Sen. Deb Fischer, the Republican incumbent, by seven percentage points.

Now, Osborn is taking on Ricketts, while positioning the bid as representative of a broader fight between the "billionaire class" and the working class.

"I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich," Osborn said.

"Sen. Ricketts has consistently worked for and voted to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers, families, and seniors," Ricketts' campaign spokesman Will Coup said in a statement. "Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal, out-of-state, coastal donors. Dan Osborn will side with Chuck Schumer over Nebraska families and vote with Democrats to open the border, hike taxes, and stop the America First agenda."

Ricketts was appointed to the Senate in 2023 upon former Sen. Ben Sasse's resignation to become president of the University of Florida. Last year, Ricketts handily won his bid in a special election to serve out the remaining two years of Sasse's term. Ricketts, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, is the son of Omaha billionaire Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade, and owner of the Chicago Cubs.

Osborn has accused Ricketts of "trying to buy power in Nebraska," while saying that when "working people need his help," it's "always the same old story: Crickets from Ricketts."

In his announcement Tuesday, Osborn urged that "we've got to make things more affordable, secure the border and take on the corruption in Washington," echoing the populist message and moderate positions he stressed in his first campaign — like opposition to national abortion restrictions, support for "reasonable gun safety measures" and stronger border security.

In the 2024 race, Fischer accused her independent challenger of being a "Democrat in disguise," while leaning on an endorsement from President Trump. The president endorsed Ricketts in April, claiming that Osborn is a "Radical Left Open Border Extremist, who will put our Country, and Safety, LAST," while "Pete, on the other hand, will ALWAYS put Nebraska, and America, FIRST."

Fisher also backed Ricketts and previewed the race in an April post on X, saying, "Dan Osborn tried to fool Nebraskans last year. He failed."

"Unlike Dan Osborn, Pete Ricketts has nothing to hide," Fisher said. "He's honest, hardworking, and represents Nebraska's values."