10 publishers · first seen Mon, 02 Nov 2026 17:00 UTC · updated Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:54 UTC
Republican Pete Ricketts has won the U.S. Senate election in Nebraska, defeating independent candidate Dan Osborn. Ricketts will now serve his first full six-year term, following his 2023 appointment to replace Republican Sen. Ben Sasse and 2024 special election victory. Osborn, an industrial mechanic and military veteran, also ran in 2024 against the state's other Republican senator, Deb Fischer. Democrat Cindy Burbank won her party's primary earlier this year but served as a stalking horse candidate for Osborn, campaigning on her intention to withdraw and clear the way for the independent candidate, who was backed by Democratic leaders.
The race in Nebraska has been closely watched, as Democrats attempted to use a strategic withdrawal by Burbank to back Osborn, aiming to attract Republican voters. Osborn's campaign has been marked by controversies, including leaked audio of him making derogatory remarks about Nebraskans and accusations of racist and sexist comments. Despite these issues, Osborn managed to secure a significant portion of the vote, making the race one of the closest in the nation.
Content auto-generated. May contain inaccuracies.