# Nebraska Senate race 2026

Sen. Pete Ricketts (R) faces independent Dan Osborn, who is backed by the state Democratic Party.

- Office: U.S. Senate
- Rating: Likely Republican (Cook Political Report, Oct 20, 2026)
- Sabato's Crystal Ball: Leans Republican
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/election/ne-senate/
- Back to [Election Headquarters](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/election/)

## Who is running

- Pete Ricketts (Republican): incumbent
- Dan Osborn (Independent): challenger

## The facts

- Osborn lost to Sen. Deb Fischer by 6.7 points in 2024. (Wikipedia)
- The Nebraska Democratic Party endorsed Osborn in August 2026, and the Democratic nominee withdrew July 17. (Wikipedia)

## Why this race matters to conservatives (opinion)

Cook rates Nebraska Likely Republican and Sabato rates it Leans Republican. That is closer than usual for the state.

This section is the opinion of RightNewsRightNow. The rest of the page is reporting.

## Where these facts come from

- [Cook Political Report](https://www.270towin.com/2026-senate-election/cook-political-report-2026-senate): current rating, as of Oct 20, 2026
- [Wikipedia (election pages, with their cited sources)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_elections): candidate and race facts