Nebraska Democrats confront billboards connecting Osborn to socialist Mamdani

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As Nebraska Democrats prepare for a gala in Omaha featuring former President Joe Biden this Friday, they’re facing a wave of mobile advertisements that aim to connect Senate candidates with polarizing figures in the Democratic Party.

The campaign for Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) is launching a mobile billboard truck showcasing bright neon graphics. This truck brands independent candidate Dan Osborn as a “fake independent,” linking him to a far-left agenda, alongside socialist New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani and controversial Maine candidate Graham Platner.

“The Nebraska Democratic Party brand is too toxic to field a candidate under the party label,” said Will Koop, communications director for the Ricketts campaign. He added that while Osborn may not carry a “D” next to his name, he still backs the party’s most extreme beliefs.

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Omaha stands out as a “blue dot” in the predominantly Republican state of Nebraska. Notably, Nebraska is one of only two states that allocates its electors by congressional district, with Omaha’s 2nd Congressional District generally leaning Democratic.

Despite this, Republican Representative Don Bacon secured re-election in that district in 2024 but is not running again in 2026. Osborn is campaigning as an independent this time, yet Chairman Jane Cleave of the Nebraska Democratic Party has acknowledged support for his effort to challenge Ricketts, who is a two-term senator and former governor of Nebraska.

One of the mobile billboards will prominently feature the phrase “Nebraska Democratic Party Proudly Supports Dan Osborn.” Ricketts’ campaign presents Osborn as a “fake” independent, and similar messages are being disseminated throughout downtown Omaha.

“Osborne’s campaign is managed by the very same team that ran socialist Zoran Mamdani’s campaign in New York: Communists, socialists, and fake independents. Is this the best the Democratic Party can offer?” Koop remarked.

Interestingly, Mamdani and Osborn share a media strategist, Morris Katz, who is also working with Graham Platner, a contentious candidate for the Senate seat in Maine next year.

In 2020 and 2021, Platner drew attention for calling himself a “communist” in Reddit posts, which he later dismissed as merely a joke. Now, he is under pressure to step back from the Senate race as reactions to a photo featuring a tattoo resembling a Totenkopf—used by Hitler’s SS—led to resignations among his top campaign staff.

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One of the billboards will feature Platner’s image with the word “communist” emblazoned across it, along with messages declaring “Fake ‘Independence'” for Osborn and “Socialist” for Mamdani.

Osborn, a labor union leader, ran as an independent against Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) last year and is now intensifying his campaign to unseat the incumbent Republican in the U.S. Senate.