Latest news with #DanOsborn
Bloomberg
10-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Nebraska Senate Candidate Runs as an Anti-Billionaire
While Elon Musk talks about forming a new political party, some candidates are already running outside the typical ballot lines. Bloomberg Businessweek 's Deena Shanker interviewed Dan Osborn, who just launched his second campaign for Senate in Nebraska. Plus: Businesses and professionals are losing access to reliable government data. If this email was forwarded to you, click here to sign up.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dan Osborn enters Nebraska Senate race
NEBRASKA (KCAU) — Dan Osborn, who's registered as an Independent, has announced his bid for a seat in the Nebraska Senate. On Tuesday, Osborn posted on X, saying, 'I'm running for Senate against billionaire Pete Ricketts In Nebraska.' He also launched a campaign website. A spokesperson from Rickett's campaign team released a statement in response to the news, stating in part, 'Senator Ricketts has consistently worked for and voted to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers, families, and seniors. Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal, out-of-state, coastal donors.' claims there are currently three candidates for the seat. They are Pete Rickets, Edward Dunn, and Dan Osborn. In 2024, Dan Osborn ran as an Independent against Deb Fischer. She won with about 53% of the votes over his 46%. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Al Arabiya
08-07-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Independent Dan Osborn Launches New US Senate Bid to Challenge Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts
A former labor union boss who drew national headlines last year as an independent candidate challenging Nebraska Republican US Sen. Deb Fischer is again entering the political arena–this time to challenge Nebraska's junior senator, Republican Pete Ricketts, in 2026. 'I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich,' Dan Osborn said in a video released Tuesday to announce his candidacy. He criticized Ricketts, a former two-term Nebraska governor and multimillionaire who is the son of billionaire TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, as a lawmaker who bought his Senate seat. Ricketts' campaign responded by touting his voting record to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers and painted Osborn as beholden to Democrats. 'Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal out-of-state coastal donors,' Ricketts' campaign spokesman Will Coup said in a written statement. That was a reference to the nearly $20 million Osborn received last year from political action committees, including those that tend to support Democratic candidates. As he insisted last year, Osborn said he would serve as an independent if elected and has no plans to caucus with either Democrats or Republicans. He pointed to Ricketts' vote for Republicans' massive tax cut and spending bill last week that contains $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and cuts Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. 'Congress spends their time bickering about how much we should cut taxes for billionaires and multinational corporations. We're just an afterthought,' Osborn said. 'My kids and yours deserve an American dream, too.' It's a familiar refrain from Osborn, who centered his campaign last year on representing working families he says are being steamrolled by an ever-growing wealth gap and policies that favor the rich over the middle class. Osborn was known in labor union circles as the Omaha industrial mechanic who successfully led a labor strike at Kellogg's cereal plants in 2021, winning higher wages and other benefits. He was a political newcomer when he challenged Fischer, outraising her by more than $1 million and coming within 6 percent of the two-term senator, who was used to winning by wide margins. Osborn acknowledged that it would be difficult to pose a campaign finance threat to Ricketts, one of the richest members of the US Senate. Federal campaign finance reports show Ricketts' campaign had more than $800,000 cash on hand at the end of March. But Osborn believes his populist message appeals more to Nebraska voters than campaign war chests. 'I think if you throw $100 million of your own money into Nebraska, I don't know that that moves the needle any more than $30 does,' he said. 'I think we're going to win this the old school way: Go out to where people are. Just hold town hall after town hall and talk with the good people in Nebraska.' Ricketts is seeking reelection next year after winning a special election last year to finish out the term of former Sen. Ben Sasse, who resigned in 2022. Ricketts was appointed to the seat by his successor, fellow Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy–a move widely panned as having the appearance of backroom dealing, as Ricketts had heavily supported and donated more than $1 million to help elect Pillen.
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Independent Dan Osborn launches new US Senate bid to challenge Nebraska Republican Pete Ricketts
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former labor union boss who drew national headlines in his race last year as an independent candidate challenging Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer is again throwing his hat into the political ring — this time to challenge Nebraska's junior senator, Republican Pete Ricketts, in 2026. 'I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich,' Dan Osborn said in a video released Tuesday to announce his candidacy. He criticized Ricketts, a former two-term Nebraska governor and multimillionaire who is the son of billionaire TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, as a lawmaker who 'bought his Senate seat.' Ricketts' campaign responded by touting his voting record 'to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers' and painted Osborn as beholden to Democrats. 'Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal, out-of-state, coastal donors,' Ricketts campaign spokesman Will Coup said in a written statement. That was a reference to the nearly $20 million Osborn received last year from political action committees, including those that tend to support Democratic candidates. As he insisted last year, Osborn said he would serve as an independent if elected and has no plans to caucus with either Democrats or Republicans. He pointed to Ricketts' vote for Republicans' massive tax cut and spending bill last week that contains $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and cuts Medicaid and food stamps by $1.2 trillion. 'Congress spends their time bickering about how much we should cut taxes for billionaires and multinational corporations. We're just an afterthought,' Osborn said. 'My kids and yours deserve an American dream too.' It's a familiar refrain from Osborn, who centered his campaign last year on representing working families he says are being steamrolled by an ever-growing wealth gap and policies that favor the rich over the middle class. Osborn was known in labor union circles as the Omaha industrial mechanic who successfully led a labor strike at Kellogg's cereal plants in 2021, winning higher wages and other benefits. He was a political newcomer when he challenged Fischer, outraising her by more than $1 million and coming within 6 percentage points of the two-term senator, who was used to winning by wide margins. Osborn acknowledged that it would be difficult to pose a campaign finance threat to Ricketts, one of the richest members of the U.S. Senate. Federal campaign finance reports show Ricketts' campaign had more than $800,000 cash on hand at the end of March. But Osborn believes his populist message appeals more to Nebraska voters than campaign war chests. 'I think if you throw $100 million of your own money into Nebraska, I don't know that that moves the needle any more than $30 does,' he said. 'I think we're going to win this the old school way: Go out to where people are. Just hold town hall after town hall and talk with the good people in Nebraska.' Ricketts is seeking reelection next year after winning a special election last year to finish out the term of former Sen. Ben Sasse, who resigned in 2022. Ricketts was appointed to the seat by his successor, fellow Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy — a move widely panned as having the appearance of backroom dealing, as Ricketts had heavily supported and donated more than $1 million to help elect Pillen.
Newsweek
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Dan Osborn's Chances of Beating Republican Pete Ricketts in Nebraska
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Independent candidate Dan Osborn officially entered Nebraska's Senate race on Tuesday, setting up an election that Democrats hope will become competitive ahead of the midterms next November. Newsweek reached out to Osborn and incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican, for comment via email. Why It Matters Nebraska is a reliably Republican state and has not voted Democratic at the presidential level since 1964, but its Senate race was more competitive than expected last year. Osborn, an independent with no ties to either major political party, lost to GOP Senator Deb Fischer by less than seven points, despite President Donald Trump carrying the state by 20 points. Typically, the party in the White House loses congressional seats in the midterm elections; still, Republicans have some cushioning in the Senate with a 53-47 majority and a favorable map. Democrats view GOP-held seats in Maine and North Carolina as the best opportunities to flip a seat. However, to secure a majority, they'll have to win Senate races in double-digit Trump states, such as Iowa, Ohio, or Texas. Osborn hasn't said he'd caucus with Democrats, but an Osborn victory could help Democrats chip away at the GOP majority. Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn speaks during a news conference in Omaha on May 15, 2024. Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn speaks during a news conference in Omaha on May 15, 2024. Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald via AP, Filea What To Know Osborn made his campaign official, targeting Ricketts, the state's former governor, in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning. "I've been a registered independent my whole life," Osborn said in the video. "I didn't buy my way into politics. I only got involved when the corporate bosses came after my coworkers at the factory. I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich." Only one poll of the race has been made public: an internal one from Osborn's exploratory committee released in April. That poll showed Ricketts with 46 percent of the vote, while 45 percent of respondents said they planned to back Osborn. It surveyed 524 likely voters and was conducted by Change Research. Internal polls are sometimes viewed as less reliable than independent polls, as they can be selectively released by those who sponsor them. No independent polls have been conducted for the race. Osborn, who also ran as an independent last year, received support from nearly 47 percent of Nebraska voters, while 53 percent backed Fischer in last year's Senate race. At the same time, Ricketts easily won in the state's special election, receiving nearly 63 percent of the vote against Democratic candidate Preston Love. Osborn could "reasonably be expected to be competitive" in the race, Kevin Smith, professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told Newsweek. "That's based on his run last time. No one expected him to be as competitive as he was against Fischer, and he starts this time with a lot more name recognition and a 'brand' that's familiar to a lot of voters in Nebraska," Smith said. Still, it should be Ricketts' "race to lose," as there is "just too big of a party registration advantage for Republicans" for anyone to overcome, and Ricketts may be more popular among the state's GOP base than Fischer. "I don't see Ricketts as vulnerable as Fischer. He was a pretty popular governor, has done nothing in his Senate term that I see as giving GOP voters a reason to look elsewhere, and resources are not going to be an issue for his campaign," Smith said. Democrats haven't said whether they plan to run a candidate in Nebraska. They did not run a candidate in the Fischer-Osborn race in 2024. What People Are Saying University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor Kevin Smith told Newsweek: "If loss of overseas markets starts hurting farmers, if hospitals start closing in rural Nebraska, if people start worrying about losing health insurance, that could give GOP voters a reason to look at Osborn. "A big deal for him will be maintaining the perception that he is a true independent. If he ends up being seen as getting too close to the Democratic Party that could be a problem, regardless of how the issues and the events of national politics play out. "To say the Democratic Party brand is unpopular in rural areas is an understatement, and I have a hard time seeing those voters seriously considering an alternative to the GOP candidate if that alternative is perceived as getting too cozy with the Democrats." Will Coup, a campaign spokesperson for Senator Pete Ricketts, told the Nebraska Examiner: "Senator Ricketts has consistently worked for and voted to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers, families and seniors. Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal, out-of-state, coastal donors." What Happens Next The Cook Political Report classifies the race as Safe Republican, meaning it is not considered competitive at this point. Sabato's Crystal Ball views it as Likely Republican.
