Democrats pick Nebraska Senate nominee who could drop out and back independent Dan Osborn

Cindy Burbank won the Democratic Senate primary in Nebraska, NBC News projects, potentially clearing the way for independent Dan Osborn to take on GOP Sen.

Cindy Burbank won the Democratic Senate primary in Nebraska, NBC News projects, potentially clearing the way for independent Dan Osborn to take on GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts head-to-head in the fall.

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Burbank defeated pastor William Forbes for the Democratic nomination, while Ricketts easily won his Republican primary.

Democrats have not won a Senate race in Nebraska since 2006. But Osborn has been gearing up for a run against Ricketts after he ran a surprisingly competitive first campaign as an independent in 2024. Osborn, a steamfitter and former union organizer, lost to GOP Sen. Deb Fischer by 7 points as Donald Trump carried the state by 20 points.