OMAHA, Neb.—The race between incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts and independent Dan Osborn for Nebraska’s U.S. Senate seat has the makings of a heartland political thriller.
The intrigue started in last May’s primaries when Democrats accused the Republicans of putting a ruse candidate on the Democratic ballot to foil the Democrats’ plan to support an Independent.
Ricketts is running for his first six-year term. Gov. Jim Pillen appointed him in January 2023 to complete then-Sen. Ben Sasse’s term after he left office to become president of the University of Florida. Ricketts soundly defeated a Democratic challenger for the seat in a Special General Election in 2024. The term ends in January 2027….