Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican from Nebraska, aggressively targeted independent candidate Dan Osborn in a debate on Tuesday night. Ricketts repeatedly referred to Osborn as “Democrat Dan,” linking his campaign with democratic socialists. This debate marks the beginning of numerous Senate races nationwide as Democrats and Republicans vie for Senate control. While Nebraska typically offers predictable partisan races, the contest between Osborn and Ricketts could be tighter than usual.
The debate occurred at the Nebraska State Fair and could be the sole confrontation between the candidates before Election Day. Osborn spent much of the debate positioning himself apart from both major parties, aiming to work for Nebraskans rather than party leadership. He expressed willingness to collaborate with Republicans, emphasizing that good ideas are not exclusive to any one party.
Cindy Burbank, the original Democratic nominee, withdrew from the race this summer. The state Democratic Party chair announced support for Osborn, who previously lost to GOP Senator Deb Fischer by a narrow margin, despite former President Trump winning Nebraska by a large lead.
“I don’t need to caucus with either party,” Osborn stated. “Nobody’s got a monopoly on a good idea. I will work with Republicans to get things passed, but it’s about delivering for Nebraska. That’s what I intend to do, is to work for the people of Nebraska, not a party boss.”
Senator Ricketts emphasized differences between himself and Osborn, criticizing Osborn’s stance on “Medicare for all” and his likely opposition to tax cuts within Trump’s major legislative act.
“Yes, I would have voted against the state that the current Big Beautiful Bill Act is in,” Osborn responded. “But since we’re delving in hypotheticals, that act was passed by a tiebreaker for JD Vance. So, if I would have beaten Deb Fischer and operated as a true independent in Washington, D.C., that would have been leverage. That would have been leverage to deliver for Nebraska.”
A recurring theme in the debate was the influence of PAC money and “dark money” from undisclosed donors. Ricketts accused Osborn of receiving significant funds through these channels from notable Democrats and liberal interests.
“Democrat Dan keeps trying to insinuate that somehow I can be part of this billionaires club or whatever,” Ricketts stated. “The truth is, I can’t be bought. He already has. He’s been paid for by those liberal out-of-state interests who are funding his campaign.”
Osborn acknowledged benefitting from hidden donors backing his campaign, highlighting the role “dark money” plays in elections.
“I don’t know who these people are, and they raise money in my name, and those are the ones that run ads,” Osborn admitted. “If it doesn’t say, ‘I’m Dan Osborn’ or ‘I’m Pete Ricketts, I approve this message,’ that’s dark money working.”
The debate consisted of three segments, focusing on tariffs and living costs, immigration enforcement, and the war in Iran, as well as campaign finance and artificial intelligence.