CBS News projects Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts won reelection in Nebraska, preserving a U.S. Senate seat for the GOP after a competitive challenge from independent Dan Osborn.
The 51-year-old former union leader was making his second run for a Senate seat. In 2024, Republican Sen. Deb Fischer defeated him by seven points, CBS reported. EconoTimes previously covered Osborn’s planned Nebraska town hall with Rep. Ro Khanna. Ricketts, 62, served as Nebraska governor before an appointment brought him to the Senate in 2023.
Nebraska has not elected a non-Republican to the U.S. Senate since 2006, CBS reported. The race was nevertheless competitive, with the network citing a sizable nonpartisan electorate as one factor. It also pointed to the Iran war’s unpopularity and high gasoline and diesel prices as challenges for Republicans.
The network said the projection prevents a further potential reduction in the Republican Senate majority. CBS also framed the result as a reprieve after Democrats won several contests in states the president carried by wide margins in 2024.
