Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts To Face Off With Independent, Democrat Who Already Vowed Call It Quits

Incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts secured the GOP nomination in Nebraska’s Senate primary Tuesday, qualifying for the November general election.

Ricketts will now face Democratic candidate Cindy Burbank and independent candidate Dan Osborn in November. But this isn’t a typical three-way race, as Burbank has already promised to drop his Senate bid to bolster Osborn’s candidacy.

Ricketts came through the primary with 78.7% of the Republican vote at reporting time, while Burbank is on track to secure a significant majority of the Democratic vote, according to NBC News. With Burbank on the verge of dropping out of the race by her own admission, it is assumed that the majority of her voters will go to Osborn, strongly suggesting that she was a workhorse for the independent candidate favored by the state Democratic Party. (RELATED: How Nebraska’s Senate Primary Became the Most Bizarre Race in the Country)

These accusations were made against Burbank by Republicans and even by his Democratic rival, William Forbes. Forbes accused Burbank of being a “scapegoat” and a “surrogate candidate” whose sole purpose was to clear the Democratic primary field for Osborn’s independent candidacy, according to the Daily Signal.

Burbank has since revealed she is running to bolster the independent but Democratic-aligned candidate.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 31: U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) attends a press conference on the southern border at the U.S. Capitol on October 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. A group of Republican senators spoke about the need to secure the southern border to prevent terrorists from using it as a point of entry into the United States. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Forbes was also accused of being a partisan mill after it was discovered that he was a pro-life pastor who had voted for President Donald Trump in the last three elections. Because of Forbes’ conservative background, critics point to his Democratic Party registration as evidence of his attempt to siphon general election votes and derail Osborn’s candidacy. (RELATED: Democrats accuse Trump-voting pastor candidate of being a Republican plant)

“If you’re voting in the Democratic primary, beware that Ricketts has a GOP stooge planted in the race named William Forbes,” Osborn said in an article on X before the vote. “Do NOT vote for Fake Forbes!” »

A spokesperson for Ricketts’ campaign denied the Osborn camp’s claims, telling the Daily Signal that they had “no role in the Democratic primary.”

“The only candidate in this race with a history of interfering in primaries and undermining the democratic process is Dan Osborn,” the spokesperson said. “Time and again, Osborn says one thing in public while doing the exact opposite behind closed doors.”