Nebraska Democrats are calling each other fake candidates in a Senate primary that could hand Republicans an easy victory in what should be a competitive race.
Story Snapshot
- Democrat Senate candidates Cindy Burbank and Bill Forbes accuse each other of being planted to sabotage independent Dan Osborn’s general election chances against Republican Pete Ricketts
- Nebraska’s unique nonpartisan legislative system advances top vote-getters regardless of party affiliation
- The competitive 2nd Congressional District race could determine House majority control
- Incumbent Governor Jim Pillen faces five GOP challengers but remains heavily favored
- Burbank was removed from the ballot by the Secretary of State after GOP complaints, then reinstated by the state Supreme Court
When Democrats Attack Democrats
The Nebraska Democrat Party made an unusual strategic calculation: run no Senate candidate in the general election to give independent Dan Osborn a clear path against Pete Ricketts. Osborn nearly defeated Senator Deb Fischer in 2024, losing by just seven points in deep red Nebraska. Then two Democrats filed at the last minute for the primary.
Pharmacy technician Cindy Burbank and pastor Bill Forbes both claim to be legitimate candidates while accusing the other of being a Republican plant designed to split the anti-Ricketts vote come November. The Nebraska Democrat Party backs Burbank and fears Forbes will siphon votes from Osborn.
Nebraska Republicans and Democrats will vote in key primary races Tuesday at the federal and state levels. https://t.co/NvJM8CPTxe
— Omaha World-Herald (@OWHnews) May 11, 2026
The Ricketts Machine Rolls On
Pete Ricketts arrived in the Senate through appointment in 2023 after Ben Sasse resigned, won a special election in 2024, and now seeks a full six-year term. He faces seven Republican primary challengers including Debb Axtell Schultz and Todd Knobel, but none pose a serious threat to the former two-term governor.
The real battle was always going to be the general election in a state that gave Joe Biden an electoral vote by winning Omaha’s 2nd Congressional District in 2020. Ricketts enjoys strong GOP establishment support and has already pivoted to the fall campaign while Democrats wage their bizarre internecine warfare.
Omaha’s Blue Dot Under Siege
Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District represents Democrats’ best chance to flip a seat that could determine House control. Six Democrats are competing to challenge Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Councilmember who faces no GOP primary opposition.
Candidates include Crystal Rhoades and John Cavanaugh Jr., both hoping to capitalize on the district’s urban character that occasionally breaks for Democrats in federal races. The winner inherits a district that national Democrats view as critical to their narrow path back to a House majority. Republicans are defending the seat after holding it through recent cycles despite the district’s competitive nature.
Nebraska’s Unicameral Wildcard
The state’s unique nonpartisan unicameral Legislature holds primaries where candidates run without party labels and the top vote-getters advance regardless of affiliation. This system often produces unexpected results and coalitions that defy traditional partisan boundaries.
Numerous state legislative seats are on the ballot alongside local contests that will shape policy on agriculture, taxes, and rural development issues critical to Nebraska voters.
Governor Pillen, elected in 2022, faces nominal primary opposition from five Republicans including Gary Rogge but is expected to cruise to renomination. On the Democrat side, Lynne Walz and perennial candidate Larry Marvin compete for the right to challenge Pillen in the fall.
The Forbes-Burbank circus epitomizes everything wrong with Democrat strategy in red states. Rather than building genuine grassroots support, party insiders try to game the system by clearing primaries for independents, then panic when actual Democrats want to run. Forbes denies being a spoiler and maintains he is a registered Democrat with legitimate policy positions.
Burbank’s journey from ballot removal by Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen to reinstatement by the Nebraska Supreme Court suggests genuine legal questions about candidate qualification rules. The whole mess may hand Ricketts an easier path than he deserved given Osborn’s strong 2024 showing.
Tuesday’s primaries to set up key fall matchups in Nebraska. Tuesday’s primary elections in Nebraska set the stage for November in a battleground House district, as well as a potentially competitive Senate contest. https://t.co/NLxw39nbbT
— DashReports (@DashReports) May 12, 2026
Nebraska’s split electoral system makes it one of only two states that can divide Electoral College votes by congressional district. This quirk keeps Democrats competitive in the Omaha-based 2nd District even as the rest of the state trends increasingly Republican. Polls opened at eight in the morning with early voting having concluded the previous day.
Results will determine not just who appears on November ballots but whether Democrats can mount a credible challenge in multiple races or remain mired in self-inflicted chaos. The national implications extend beyond Nebraska’s borders, particularly in the House race where every seat matters in the fight for majority control.
Sources:
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Nebraska’s primaries
Nebraska Primary Election – BallotReady
Nebraska Election Dates and Deadlines – US Vote Foundation
