Osborn invokes fear of billionaire takeover in bid for support for Senate run – Washington Examiner
Dan Osborn, an self-reliant candidate who narrowly lost to Sen. Deb Fischer in the 2024 election, is considering another run for the Senate in 2026 against Sen. Pete Ricketts. In announcing his exploratory committee, Osborn tapped into public concerns about billionaires wielding significant influence over the political landscape, referencing figures like Elon Musk. He argues that this billionaire dominance harms everyday Americans, workers, small businesses, and Social Security. Osborn believes that Congress should better represent the working class and criticized Ricketts, suggesting he is overly reliant on corporate interests. Despite identifying as an independent, osborn has connected with Democrats for fundraising but insists that he remains an independent voice in politics. The Cook Political Report, while designating Ricketts’ seat as solidly Republican, notes that Osborn’s candidacy could shake up expectations for the race.
Osborn invokes fear of billionaire takeover in bid for support for second Senate run
Dan Osborn, the independent candidate who lost to Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) by about 6 points in the 2024 election, is exploring a 2026 Senate bid against Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE).
Osborn drew on public fear of billionaires controlling the country in his announcement of an exploratory committee, likely referring to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s heavy influence in the Trump administration.
“Billionaires have bought up the country and are carving it up day by day,” he said in a post on X.
“The economy they’ve built is good for them, bad for us. Good for huge multinationals and multibillionaires. Bad for workers. Bad for small businesses, bad for family farmers. Bad for anyone who wants Social Security to survive. Bad for your PAYCHECK,” he added.
Osborn also said that “Americans hate billionaires buying elections” and that Ricketts has “never worked a day in his life and is entirely beholden to corporations and party bosses.”
The independent candidate suggested more members of Congress should come from the working class. “I think our government should look more like us as far as income levels go,” Osborn told POLITICO in February. “The reason why it doesn’t … is because of the money.”
Osborn carved out a niche in his 2024 campaign by appealing to pro-union, pro-abortion-rights, and pro-immigration control voters. A Cook Political Report editor called the contest “the most surprising race of the cycle” as Osborn emerged from being a relative unknown before competing with Fischer for the seat.
During the 2024 race, he refused to accept endorsements from Democrats, although he accepted millions of dollars from the party. While he says he’s still an independent candidate, he posted an ActBlue link on his X thread announcing his exploratory committee.
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ActBlue is a Democrat-affiliated fundraising platform often used to fundraise exclusively for Democrats. His fundraising page says, “Give now to help Dan Osborn defeat Republican Senator Pete Ricketts.” Republicans in the state have characterized Osborn as a “Democrat in disguise.”
Cook Political Report considers Ricketts’s seat to be solidly red, but Osborn could disrupt that forecast.
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