How Nebraska helped turn 2026 into the year of the independent US Senate candidate

By: Jonathan Shorman

Outlets: DC Bureau (States Newsroom)

Published: October 20, 2026

Words: 2,322

Last Updated: 8 hours, 23 minutes ago

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HYANNIS, Neb. — With 19 days until Election Day, Dan Osborn sat across from three skeptical voters in a conference room in this blink-and-you-miss-it rural Nebraska town.

Osborn, a bearded former union leader and Navy veteran, wants to become the first independent U.S. senator from Nebraska since World War II by defeating Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. The state’s top Democrats are backing Osborn’s bid rather than fielding a candidate.

But this is Trump country. President Donald …

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