The flannel-clad populist from the Plains is back.
In 2024, Dan Osborn, an Omaha mechanic and union leader with no political experience, chased a long-shot dream of winning a Republican-held Senate seat in ruby-red Nebraska.
The race between Osborn, who ran as an independent, and Sen. Deb Fischer drew national attention and prompted big spending from both sides, turning the state into a late-breaking battleground. Osborn wound up losing by 7 points, a margin far closer than most observers had expected.