Nebraska Democratic Primary Turns Into Strategic Chess Match With Unexpected Candidates

The Nebraska Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday has become a high-stakes strategic maneuver, leaving voters confused about the candidates and their motives.

Originally, there was no expected contest. Independent populist Dan Osborn was poised to challenge Republican incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts after nearly defeating Senator Deb Fischer in 2024. Osborn’s performance last year—coming within seven percentage points of Fischer and outperforming Kamala Harris’s 21-point loss to Donald Trump in Nebraska—earned him the Nebraska Democratic Party’s endorsement consideration.

Then 79-year-old pastor William Forbes entered the race. Though Forbes is a registered Democrat, he has voted for Trump three times and attended a Republican training event earlier this year. Fearing Forbes could split the Democratic vote, the party backed Cindy Burbank, a retired pharmacy technician, to run against him.

Burbank has pledged that if she wins the primary, she will drop out and endorse Osborn, ensuring he has a clear path to challenge Ricketts. The strategy, however, has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans, who argue Burbank’s candidacy is an orchestrated effort to boost Osborn.

Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen attempted to remove Burbank from the ballot in March, but she successfully sued to remain on it. Additionally, Burbank paid the filing fee for a third-party candidate, Mike Marvin, of the Legal Marijuana NOW Party.

Dan Osborn, an Omaha union leader, rose to prominence during a 77-day strike at a Kellogg’s cereal plant in 2021. A former registered Democrat, he ran as an independent in 2024 due to the party’s struggles in the Great Plains. Osborn has pledged not to caucus with either party if elected. Recent polling shows him trailing Ricketts by just one percentage point.

"The national Democratic brand is toxic among voters in states like Nebraska in the sense that it’s very much identified with the coastal liberal elites on a whole host of issues. Nebraska Democrats are adopting this sort of plan B strategy, which is to not run a Democratic candidate at all."

Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, told USA Today.

With Forbes in the race, Democrats risk vote-splitting in November if he wins the primary, potentially aiding Ricketts. If Burbank wins, Nebraska Democrats must ensure voters understand she will support Osborn. The strategy carries significant risks of backfiring.