LINCOLN — Registered nonpartisan U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn submitted signatures Thursday to get his name on the general election ballot this fall against Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts.
To be on the general election ballot as a nonpartisan, someone must submit 4,000 signatures from registered voters, including 750 in each of the state’s three congressional districts. Osborn said his campaign gathered roughly 12,500 signatures to give to the Secretary of State.
“We wanted to create a coalition in the state of Nebraska [that] has never seen before … under one umbrella with the idea and the truth that working class people deserve a seat at the table in the United States Senate,” Osborn said during a press conference at the Cornhusker Hotel Thursday morning.
Unlike in his 2024 bid against U.S.Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.,Osborn is a known commodity and in the crosshairs of national and state Republicans. Also, Nebraska Democrats are clearing the field for Osborn this time around.
Democratic U.S. Senate nomineeCindy Burbank, who won the primary race last month, is expected to drop out — but likely not without alegal fight with the Secretary of State. When asked if he has any insights on when Burbank may drop out, Osborn told the Examiner he doesn’t know anything about her plans.
“Regardless of what she decides to do … We don’t coordinate with them,” Osborn said. “We’re just going to keep running our campaign as strong as we can.”
Lydia Brasch, a former Republican state lawmaker, and Derek Schwartz, an unsuccessful GOP candidate for Legislature, last monthasked the state attorney generalto look at Burbank and Legal Marijuana NOW nominee Mike Marvin over allegations that neither of them intends to serve.
Osborn said he doesn’t expect hiccups over verifying the signatures.
A Ricketts campaign spokesperson said “months of backroom deals and ballot games” by Nebraska Democrats got Osborn on the ballot.
“Osborn is endorsed by the Nebraska Democratic Party and Chuck Schumer,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “He’s bankrolled by out-of-state liberal donors like the Soros family. … Dan Osborn keeps trying to hide his far-left donors and policies from Nebraskans. Senator Ricketts will keep delivering commonsense results for Nebraska families.”
