Republicans suffered heavy losses in the 2026 midterms, but Nebraska offered the party a bright spot: incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts defeated independent Dan Osborn, according to an election projection.
Osborn, a pipe fitter, faced repeated claims that he was effectively a Democrat. He said he would not caucus with either party if elected, though the state Democratic Party supported his campaign.
At a September debate, Ricketts described Osborn as too far to the left for Nebraska and warned that he could help Democrats take control of the Senate. Ricketts also argued that such a shift would hurt the state.
The race proved closer than expected in a state Donald Trump carried by 20 points in 2024. Ricketts had won a special election that year by 25 points, while Osborn lost his first Senate race by seven points to Republican Sen. Deb Fischer two years earlier.
Trump’s declining approval ratings, concerns about rising costs and the war with Iran helped make Ricketts’ bid for a full term more competitive. The conflict pushed diesel prices higher, while Trump’s tariffs also affected farmers in Nebraska and other agricultural states.
During an October rally in Nebraska, Trump signed an executive order expanding access to the red-dyed diesel commonly used in farming. He said prices were falling and predicted they would drop sharply once the war ended. He also described the order as a step toward lowering costs over the longer term.
Osborn, a Navy veteran and former union organizer, supported the diesel measure but called it a temporary fix. He often spoke about Nebraskans’ economic concerns, though he rarely criticized Trump directly in a state where the former president has many supporters.
Ricketts also reminded voters that they had elected him to statewide office three times. He trailed Osborn early in Tuesday’s vote count but moved ahead later that night.
A poll of likely Nebraska voters released shortly before the election put Ricketts ahead by six points, 49% to 43%. With 91% of votes counted on Wednesday, he led by a similar margin: 50.4% to Osborn’s 43.7%.
In his victory speech Wednesday morning, Ricketts said Nebraska did not need a socialist ideology.
