2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska
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The 2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Nebraska. Primary elections will be held on May 12, 2026. Nebraska has been represented in the U.S. Senate exclusively by Republicans since 2013.
Incumbent Republican senator Pete Ricketts was appointed to the seat in 2023 after the resignation of Ben Sasse. He won the 2024 special election to serve out the remaining two years of Sasse's term and is seeking a full term. Democrats have indicated they will not field a candidate in the race. Dan Osborn, an independent who ran in the Class I Senate race in 2024, announced his candidacy in July 2025.
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Pete Ricketts, incumbent U.S. senator[1]
Filed paperwork
[edit]- Edward Dunn[2]
Endorsements
[edit]Pete Ricketts
- U.S. Executive Branch officials
- Donald Trump, 45th & 47th President of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[3]
- Organizations
Fundraising
[edit]| Campaign finance reports as of September 30, 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Pete Ricketts (R) | $2,466,702 | $1,796,821 | $1,192,799 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[5] |
Democratic primary
[edit]Jane Kleeb, the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, had stated that the party does not intend to recruit a candidate in this race, similar to their actions taken in 2024.[6] On July 31, 2025, Kleeb personally endorsed Osborn.[7]
Independents
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Dan Osborn, former president of BCTGM International Union Local 50G and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024[8]
Fundraising
[edit]| Campaign finance reports as of September 30, 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Dan Osborn (I) | $1,350,898 | $897,272 | $516,791 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[5] |
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[9] | Solid R | August 12, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report[10] | Solid R | October 14, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[11] | Likely R | August 12, 2025 |
| Race To The WH[12] | Likely R | September 4, 2025 |
Endorsements
[edit]Dan Osborn (I)
- Executive branch officials
- Robert Reich, United States Secretary of Labor (1993–1997) (Democratic)[13]
- U.S. representatives
- Adam Kinzinger, IL-16[a] (2011–2023) (Republican)[14]
- Individuals
- Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party (Democratic)[7]
Polling
[edit]Pete Ricketts vs. Dan Osborn
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Pete Ricketts (R) |
Dan Osborn (I) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Research Partners (D)[15] | July 23–29, 2025 | 900 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 46% | 47% | 7% |
| Change Research (D)[16][A] | March 28 – April 1, 2025 | 524 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 46% | 45% | 9% |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Numbered as the 11th district prior to the 2010 redistricting cycle
- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
Partisan clients
- ^ Poll commissioned by Osborn's exploratory campaign
References
[edit]- ^ Weaver, Al (January 12, 2023). "Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts tapped to fill Sasse's Senate seat". The Hill. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
Pillen also noted that Ricketts has committed to running in 2024 and 2026
- ^ "DUNN, EDWARD MR. - Candidate overview". FEC.gov. January 1, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ^ Salinas, Juan (April 10, 2025). "Nebraska's Dan Osborn statistically tied with U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts in poll". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ "- AIPAC Political Portal". candidates.aipacpac.org. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "2026 Election United States Senate - Nebraska". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ^ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (July 9, 2025). "Morning Digest: Nebraska independent who spooked GOP launches another Senate bid". The Downballot. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Salinas, Juan (July 31, 2025). "Nebraska Dems chair 'supporting' Dan Osborn vs. U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts". States Newsroom. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
- ^ Vakil, Caroline (July 8, 2025). "Dan Osborn launches independent Senate bid against Ricketts in Nebraska". The Hill. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Senate Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Senate ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Senate Forecast". Race to the WH. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
- ^ Reich, Robert (September 11, 2025). "Democrats should forget about appealing to some mythical center". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ Kinzinger, Adam (August 12, 2025). "Dan Osborn: How an Independent Can Win in Nebraska and Fight for Working People". Substack. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
- ^ @daveweigel (September 16, 2025). "#NESen poll by Lake Research (D) from late summer, shared w me: Osborn (I): 47% Ricketts (R): 46% Osborn w higher favs; sample is 58-40 Trump-Harris, a little bluer than 2024. Right after announcing, before any real R messaging (July 23 – 29, 900 LVs, 3.3% MOE)" (Tweet). Retrieved September 15, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ Wegley, Andrew (April 10, 2025). "First poll in potential Nebraska Senate race shows Osborn down 1% to Ricketts". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites