Incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts secured the GOP nomination in the Nebraska Senate primary Tuesday, advancing to the general election in November.
Ricketts will now face off with Democratic nominee Cindy Burbank and independent candidate Dan Osborn in November. But this is not a typical three-way race, as Burbank has already vowed to drop her Senate bid to boost Osborn’s candidacy.
Ricketts sailed through the primary with 78.7% of the Republican vote as of reporting, while Burbank is on track to secure a significant majority of the Democrat vote, according to NBC News. With Burbank imminently dropping out of the race on her own admission, it’s assumed the majority of her voters will go to Osborn, strongly suggesting that she was a stalking horse for the independent candidate who is preferred by the state Democratic Party. (RELATED: How Nebraska’s Senate Primary Became The Most Bizarre Race In The Country)
These accusations were levied against Burbank by Republicans and even her Democratic rival, William Forbes. Forbes has accused Burbank of being a “patsy” and a “placeholder candidate” whose sole purpose was to clear the Democrat primary field for Osborn’s independent candidacy, according to the Daily Signal.
Burbank has since disclosed that she is running to boost the independent but Democratic-aligned candidate.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 31: U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) attends a press conference on the southern border at the U.S. Capitol on October 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. A group of Republican Senators spoke on the need to secure the southern border to stop the possibility of terrorist using it as an entry point into the United States. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Forbes was also accused of being a partisan plant after it was discovered that he was a pro-life pastor who had voted for President Donald Trump in the last three elections. Because of Forbes’ conservative track record, critics point to his Democratic party registration as evidence of attempting to siphon general election votes and derail Osborn’s candidacy. (RELATED: Democrats Accuse Trump-Voting Pastor Candidate Of Being Republican Plant)
“If you’re voting in the Democrat primary, please be wary that Ricketts has a GOP stooge planted in the race named William Forbes,” Osborn said in a post on X ahead of the vote. “Do NOT vote for Fake Forbes!”
A spokesperson for Ricketts’ campaign denied the assertion by the Osborn camp, telling the Daily Signal they had “no role in the Democratic primary.”
“The only candidate in this race with a record of meddling in primaries and undermining the democratic process is Dan Osborn,” the spokesperson said. “Time and again, Osborn says one thing in public while doing the exact opposite behind closed doors.”