Democratic
No Democratic candidate
Major-party general-election nominee.
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Nebraska U.S. Senate election, 2026
Dan Osborn (I) vs. Pete Ricketts (R). Incumbent renominated.
No Democratic nominee
Cindy Burbank, who won the Democratic primary with 89.5%, withdrew from the general election on July 17, 2026 and will not appear on the ballot. No Democrat is running. The November race is Republican Pete Ricketts against independent Dan Osborn, who qualified for the ballot in July with over 6,000 signatures and whom the Nebraska Democratic Party endorsed. This Dem-vs-Rep model cannot forecast that matchup. It does not distort the control number either way: Osborn has said he would not caucus with either party, so an Osborn win is not a Democratic seat, which is exactly how the simulation already treats it.
No forecast is published for this race. The forecast returns if and when a Dem-vs-Rep matchup is set and polled.
Republican
Pete Ricketts
Incumbent. Voting record and biography →
Other listed candidates
- Mike Marvin · Legal Marijuana Now
- Dan Osborn · Independent
Polls
No verified 2026 general-election poll is currently available in the feed for this race.
Other forecasts
Cook
Likely R
as of Sep 15, 2026
DDHQ
Likely R
as of Sep 22, 2026
Econ
Lean R
as of Sep 22, 2026
FPO
Likely R
as of Sep 22, 2026
Fox
Likely R
as of Sep 22, 2026
IE
Likely R
as of Sep 17, 2026
RCP
Lean R
as of Sep 20, 2026
Sabato
Likely R
as of Aug 26, 2026
Silver
Likely R
as of Sep 19, 2026
ST
Likely R
as of Sep 21, 2026
Published ratings are categorical, not probabilities, and remain independent of VotePredictor. Sources and update dates ↗
Past results
Every U.S. Senate election in Nebraska we hold a result for. A state elects two senators on separate cycles, so this covers both of its seats, not only the one on the ballot in 2026.
YearWinnerMargin
Candidate news
The 2026 midterms are 6 weeks away. What the latest polls say.
The 2026 midterm elections are just 43 days away. All of the key primaries have been decided. With summer officially behind us, the fall campaign is now underway.So where do things stand — nationwide — in the race to control Congress? Which party has a better…
Yahoo Entertainment · Yesterday
'C'mon man': GOP senator baffles with wild claim during Nebraska campaign stop
A GOP senator baffled observers Sunday when he made a wild claim during a campaign stop in Nebraska. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) traveled to the Cornhusker State to stump for Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE). During one part of his speech, Kennedy tried to compare Nebr…
Raw Story · Yesterday
GOP PAC said to back Ricketts with $1.4M ad buy
A newly formed Republican super PAC, Cornhusker Majority, is said to be preparing a $1.4 million ad buy to support Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts' bid for the upper congressional house in the midterms...
Biztoc.com · September 15, 2026
GOP Super PAC Jumps Into Nebraska Senate Race
“A new GOP super PAC — with digital ties to the Senate Leadership Fund — is jumping into the Nebraska Senate race with an initial $1.4 million ad buy to help protect Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE),” Axios reports. “The big buy in a small state is another sign that…
Politicalwire.com · September 15, 2026
Osborn Leads Ricketts in Nebraska Senate Race
A new SurveyUSA poll in Nebraska finds Dan Osborn (I) leading Pete Ricketts (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 42%. Nebraska Senate Race Dan Osborn (I) 46% Pete Ricketts (R) 42% Grant Forbes, LLC/SurveyUSA poll
Politicalwire.com · September 14, 2026