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Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dan Osborn launches independent Senate bid against Ricketts in Nebraska
Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic who lost a Senate bid against Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) by single digits last year, is launching another bid for the upper chamber — this time for Sen. Pete Ricketts's (R-Neb.) seat. In his launch video, Osborn contrasts his working-class background as an industrial mechanic and military veteran with Ricketts's family wealth, being the eldest son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. 'There's a lot of rich guys in Washington like Pete Ricketts, but not a lot with hands like these,' Osborn says in the ad. 'We fix their cars, grow their food, fight their wars.' 'Politicians like Sen. Pete Ricketts are the problem,' he continued. 'His dad worked for a living, but Petey? He got his money the fast way: his billionaire family.' Osborn's ad also nods to the steamfitter's background, where he led a major strike against Kellogg's in Omaha in 2021, saying, 'I didn't buy my way into politics.' 'I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich. We gotta make things more affordable, secure the border and take on corruption in Washington,' he says in the ad. In an interview with The Hill ahead of his announcement, Osborn said he was making another run for Senate to advocate for the working class. He surprised many last year when his long-shot Senate bid against Fischer came strikingly close; he lost to the cattle rancher by close to 7 points, while President Trump handily won the state by more than 20 points. He noted some of the dynamics of next year's race would be different compared to his run against Fischer, including the fact that he's a better-known candidate this time around and he's running against a wealthy incumbent. Osborn said he wanted to show Americans and Nebraskans specifically that 'there's another way forward and create a level playing field for workers to be able to get ahead in this country and stop racing towards the bottom and wealth funneling to the top.' Ricketts campaign spokesperson Will Coup knocked Osborn in a statement following his announcement, suggesting he was a Democrat in sheep's clothing — criticism he also faced last cycle. 'Senator Ricketts has consistently worked for and voted to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers, families, and seniors,' Coup said. '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.' While Osborn made last year's race surprisingly competitive, the election underscored the increasingly difficult political terrain for independent candidates in an ever-partisan environment. Beating Ricketts, who was appointed to the Senate in 2023 after former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) retired early from his seat, will also be no easy feat. The former Nebraska governor will have a clear financial edge over Osborn. Even before Osborn made his announcement, Trump came out with a strong endorsement of Ricketts on his Truth Social platform in April while deriding the steamfitter as 'a Radical Left Open Border Extremist, who will put our Country, and Safety, LAST.' Osborn could benefit from the midterm environment, however, when the president's party typically faces electoral headwinds. Despite Nebraska's reliably Republican leanings, Osborn thinks there's still an appetite for a middle-of-the-road candidate. 'If you look at the end zones being the two parties, the loudest certainly sit in the end zones. And if you sit around and you either watch Fox News or MSNBC all day long, you know, you would think we're all fighting in the streets with each other, and we hate each other,' Osborn said. 'My world's a different world,' he said. 'I walk around and talk to people all day long, and I think most people operate within the 40-yard lines, somewhere down the middle, either left or right, but certainly, there's a lot of things that we all agree upon no matter what side you fall on.' Osborn said that if he's elected, he wouldn't caucus with either party — something he also pledged the last time he ran. He quipped that he's a 'free agent.' a potentially enviable position in a narrowly divided Senate. 'If I have to bring a lawn chair and then pop it between the two aisles, that's where I sit. I'll eat lunch by myself,' he said. 'I want to challenge the system and show people that you could be an effective senator as an independent.' Updated at 10:32 a.m. EDT 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.
Politico
08-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Dan Osborn doesn't see himself in Musk's America Party — but he wouldn't turn down his money
A Navy veteran and mechanic by trade, Osborn is aware he won't be able to duplicate the out-of-nowhere grassroots campaign he deployed last cycle, when he outperformed Vice President Kamala Harris significantly in the state. 'There is no element of surprise [this time],' Osborn told POLITICO, adding that he expects Ricketts and his allies to 'come out with a lot of money and go very negative right from the beginning.' Ricketts was appointed to the seat following the retirement of Sen. Ben Sasse and easily won a special election in 2024 to serve the remaining two years of the term. Ricketts is the son of the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade and his family owns a majority stake in one of American sports most storied professional franchises, the Chicago Cubs, making it easy for him to inject funds into his campaign if needed. But Osborn said he enjoys other advantages. 'We're starting off in a much better place with a tried-and-true set of volunteers across the state,' Osborn said of the name ID he gained by coming within single digits of Sen. Deb Fischer. He believes the grassroots operation he built last year coupled with a growing push of voters to upend status quo politics will help him break the GOP unanimous control of Nebraska's congressional delegation. That Osborn came as close as he did to capturing the seat last year underscored voters' dissatisfaction with both major parties. His latest Senate bid comes as tech Musk threatens to scramble politics by launching the 'America Party.' But Osborn, who aligns with President Donald Trump on some issues, doesn't see himself as part of Musk's nascent movement. 'I'm not interested in that. I'm an independent. I've been an independent from the time I could vote,' he said.
The Hill
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hill
Dan Osborn launches independent Senate bid against Ricketts in Nebraska
Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic who lost a Senate bid as an independent against Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) by single digits last year, is launching another bid for the upper chamber – this time for Sen. Pete Ricketts' (R-Neb.) seat. In his launch video, Osborn contrasts his working-class background as an industrial mechanic and military veteran with Ricketts' family wealth, being the eldest son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. 'There's a lot of rich guys in Washington like Pete Ricketts, but not a lot with hands like these,' Osborn says in the ad. 'We fix their cars, grow their food, fight their wars.' 'Politicians like Sen. Pete Ricketts are the problem,' he continued. 'His dad worked for a living, but Petey? He got his money the fast way: His billionaire family.' Osborn's ad also nods to the steamfitter's background, where he led a major strike against Kellogg in Omaha in 2021, and says, 'I didn't buy my way into politics.' 'I'm running for Senate because Congress shouldn't just be a playground for the rich. We gotta make things more affordable, secure the border, and take on corruption in Washington,' he says in the ad. In an interview with The Hill ahead of his announcement, the mechanic said he was making another run for Senate to advocate for the working class. Osborn surprised many last year when his longshot Senate bid against Fischer came strikingly close. He lost to the cattle rancher by close to 7 points while President Trump handily won the state by more than 20 points. He noted that some of the dynamics of this race would be different compared to his run against Fischer, including the fact that he's a better-known candidate this time around and he's running against a wealthy incumbent. Osborn said he wanted to show Americans and Nebraskans specifically that 'there's another way forward and create a level playing field for workers to be able to get ahead in this country and stop racing towards the bottom and wealth funneling to the top.' While Osborn made last year's race surprisingly competitive, the election underscored the increasingly difficult political terrain for independent candidates in an ever-partisan environment. Beating Ricketts, who was appointed to the Senate in 2023 after former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) retired early from his seat, will also be no easy feat. The former Nebraska governor, who is running for a full term next year, will have a clear financial edge over Osborn. Even before Osborn made his announcement, Trump came out with a strong endorsement of Ricketts on his Truth Social platform in April while deriding the steamfitter as 'a Radical Left Open Border Extremist, who will put our Country, and Safety, LAST.' At the same time, Osborn could also benefit from the midterm environment, when the president's party typically faces electoral headwinds. Despite Nebraska's reliably Republican leanings, Osborn thinks there's still an appetite for a middle-of-the-road candidate. 'If you look at the end zones being the two parties, the loudest certainly sit in the end zones, and if you sit around and you either watch Fox News or MSNBC all day long you know you would think we're all fighting in the streets with each other, and we hate each other,' Osborn said. 'My world's a different world,' he said. 'I walk around and talk to people all day long, and I think most people operate within the 40-yard lines, somewhere down the middle, either left or right, but certainly, there's a lot of things that we all agree upon no matter what side you fall on.' Osborn said that if he's elected, he wouldn't caucus with either party – something he also pledged the last time he ran. He quipped that he's a 'free agent' — a potentially enviable position in a narrowly divided Senate. 'If I have to bring a lawn chair and then pop it between the two aisles, that's where I sit. I'll eat lunch by myself,' the Nebraska independent said. 'I want to challenge the system and show people that you could be an effective senator as an independent.'
