Meet Dan Osborn, the Heartland Populist From Nebraska Who’s Running for the Senate

A guy in his garage outside of Omaha, dressed in denim, says he wants nothing to do with the Democratic Party. If that sounds like the average Nebraska voter, the fact is he also describes Dan Osbornean independent candidate vying to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) may bode well for his chances.

To be sure, Osborne—a Navy veteran, steamfitter, and union leader—gives Fisher a run for his money in the red state. Both are closed in a dead heat in a race where the Democratic Party decided to drop out run as a candidate. Osborne resolutely refused to support the Democrats and distanced himself from both camps. His declaration of independence is understandable outraged the officials of the Democratic Partyand yet Osborne’s stubbornness may still benefit progressives in the long run an otherwise bleak Senate map. And it allowed Nebraskans to hear and perhaps even vote for a leader whose platform works for them precisely because he has worked with them.

Osborne previously held only one position: president of his local union. But he used this seemingly insignificant position to gain a great victory, organizing a strike at the Kellogg factory in Omaha, saving 500 jobs. While his uprising may seem like a failure in a political simulation, his simple approach—focusing on the issues most important to the working class and having a solid base to back it up—has a venerable history in the American heartland. In so-called swing states, emulating this tactic could go a long way in reviving progressive hopes where conservatives have taken voters for granted.

Nebraska is not only the homeland Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Waltz but contemporary American populism. William Jennings BryanA great citizen and the 1896 presidential candidate of the People’s Party, he began his political career in the Cornhusker State. Over the next century, U.S. senators in the Midwest will follow Bryan’s credo and take their convictions to Congress for farmers, workers, and consumers, including Fred Harris in oklahoma Birch tree in Indiana, and George McGovern in South Dakota. The breadwinner of the country, it turns out, is credited with helping working people put bread on the table.

Along with this grand tradition, Osborne’s campaign fits into a recent trend of audacious attempts to break down conservative strongholds. The weapon of choice in these campaigns? Publicity, credibility, and advocacy for the needs of working-class voters. Rep. Mary Peltol’s (D-AK) victory over Sarah Palin in 2022, which I covered at the timeillustrates this approach. Unlike Palin, Peltola did not rush to introduce herself. She ran to represent fishermen and railroad workers, parents and guardians, union members and public school teachers. She carefully reflected this spirit in her company slogan: “Fish, family and freedom”. The governor of Kansas focused on the daily needs of his constituents Laura KellyA triumph in 2018, the first blue midnight in years to sweep through Tornado’s solid red alley.

Despite Trump’s support almost 20 points in 2020, Nebraska has a political landscape with deeper features that could favor Osborne’s campaign. The state is home to the nation’s only nonpartisan unicameral legislature, which has fostered successful bipartisan coalitions for abolition of the death penalty and allowing DACA recipients to obtain driver’s licenses. “The only one,” as Nebraskans affectionately call it, also recently one Republican senator held on against the introduction of a winner-takes-all electoral system, one that would inevitably backfire in Trump’s favor this fall. Despite Republicans claiming two-thirds of the seats, the Nebraska Legislature — and by extension, the state — does not suffer from the toxic polarization that fueled Trump’s rise in the first place.

And while Osborne has kept the Democratic Party at arm’s length, he nonetheless stands to benefit indirectly from a small but powerful contingent of progressive state activists who have selflessly organized against the odds for years. Jane Kleeb, the populist leader of the Nebraska Democratic Party, has become one such force to be reckoned with. Known for being cruel activity against the Keystone XL pipeline, Kleeb has called for a long time for Democrats not only to mobilize long-ignored rural voters, but also to mobilize for them. It is written widely about what the Democrats can do to win back the trust of rural voters who have long seen the party as irrelevant and out of touch, ideas that are embodied in Osborne’s campaign strategy, even if without the official “D”.

Osborne certainly has his work cut out for him. Over the past few years, independent candidates for the US Senate have loved Alaska Al Gross and Utah Evan McMullin put up some great fights, only to be knocked out significantly by the incumbent Republican teams. But even if Osborne’s campaign fails, his efforts will not be in vain. He does not need to win the hearts of all the voters in the heartland – he just needs to open them. Regardless of the outcome in November, Osborne is on course for an election that will pave the way for real victories in 2026 and 2028. With the right long-term strategy, a more progressive Senate that can actually work for the working class just might be within striking distance.

Osborne himself believes that his candidacy could inspire future campaigns by working Americans. “Imagine … the implications for American politics if Nebraska elects an independent mechanic to the United States Senate,” he said in a recent interview. “Teachers, and nurses, and plumbers, and carpenters … they could also understand that they could run for higher office.”