Could Independent Senate Candidate Dan Osborn Succeed in Nebraska This Time?

Dan Osborn fell short of unseating Sen. Deb Fischer last year, but former advisers think 2026 could be Osborn’s year to take down Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts.

Dan Osborn
Dan Osborn speaks to University of Nebraska-Lincoln students at the UNL City Union in Lincoln, Nebraska. Kenneth Ferriera/AP

Independent candidate Dan Osborn came about 63,000 votes short last year of unseating Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, losing Nebraska’s Senate race by fewer than 7 percentage points while President Donald Trump won the state by more than 20 points.

But next year, as another Nebraska Senate seat comes up for reelection, Osborn is once again considering a challenge — and he seems to think this race could end differently.

If Osborn runs this time, it’ll be against Sen. Pete Ricketts, the wealthy businessman and son of Joe Ricketts, who founded TD Ameritrade.