Who's In the Race

Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) faces independent Dan Osborn and Legal Marijuana NOW Party candidate Mike Marvin in the Nov. 3 general election in Nebraska's U.S. Senate race. ​

Ricketts has served in the Senate since 2023, after eight years as Nebraska's governor, and is a businessman and founder of Drakon. He won the May 12 Republican primary with about 82% of the vote over runner-up Todd Knobel.

Osborn is a Navy veteran and industrial mechanic who led a union representing workers at an Omaha factory. He ran against then-Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024 and lost by six percentage points, according to Nebraska Public Media, and is making a second Senate bid in 2026.

Democrat Cindy Burbank won the May 12 Democratic primary with about 90% of the vote, beating William J. Forbes, who received about 10%.

What They Stand For

Ricketts has supported boosting Nebraska agriculture, according to his official Senate website. He's also supported:

  • Reining in the federal government,
  • Securing the border,
  • Energy independence; and
  • Strengthening families.

Osborn has proposed a middle-class tax cut, a "real no tax on tips and overtime," and stricter click-to-cancel rules, according to his campaign website. He's also supported:

  • Protecting Social Security and healthcare,
  • Protecting small businesses, family farms and ranches, and middle-class jobs; and
  • Challenging corporate power and restoring "economic liberty and fairness" for working Americans.

The Money Behind the Race

Through June 30, Ricketts had raised about $11.2 million and had about $6.9 million in cash on hand, according to AllCivic. Through Sept. 30, Osborn had raised about $5.8 million and had about $2.4 million on hand. Ricketts holds a cash advantage of nearly three to one over Osborn, though Osborn's figures run three months later.

Political committees have put about $784,000 behind Pete Ricketts, including $350,000 from Fellowship PAC and $262,625 from Defending Our Values PAC. Outside groups have spent about $110,000 opposing Osborn, led by SLF PAC at about $100,000.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Cook Political Report rated the race "Likely Republican" as of Oct. 12; Sabato's Crystal Ball also rated it "Likely Republican" as of Oct. 9; Inside Elections rated it "Lean Republican" as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Republicans, whose nominee is Ricketts, a 99.34% chance of winning as of Oct. 14.

Republican Deb Fischer won Nebraska's Class I Senate seat in 2024 with 53.2 percent of the vote. Republicans won all three of Nebraska's U.S. House seats in 2024. Republican Donald Trump carried Nebraska in the 2024 presidential election with about 59 percent of the vote.

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