Democrats pick Nebraska Senate nominee who could drop out and back independent Dan Osborn

2026 ElectionDemocrats pick Nebraska Senate nominee who could drop out and back independent Dan OsbornDemocrat Cindy Burbank won Tuesday’s primary, NBC News projects, and she previously said she would consider leaving the race if she did not have a path to victory. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Nebraska Democrats Cindy Burbank and William Forbes. cindyburbank.com; forbesfornebraskaShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 12, 2026, 9:06 PM EDTBy Bridget BowmanCindy Burbank won the Democratic Senate primary in Nebraska, NBC News projects, potentially clearing the way for independent Dan Osborn to take on GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts head-to-head in the fall. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Burbank defeated pastor William Forbes for the Democratic nomination, while Ricketts easily won his Republican primary.Democrats have not won a Senate race in Nebraska since 2006. But Osborn has been gearing up for a run against Ricketts after running a surprisingly competitive first campaign as an independent in 2024. A steamfitter and former union organizer, Osborn lost to GOP Sen. Deb Fischer by 7 points as President Donald Trump carried the state by 20 points. Osborn has stressed that he does not plan to caucus with either party if elected. But Republicans have accused him of being a Democrat, noting in attack ads in 2024 that Osborn had privately praised Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Burbank said in a phone interview last week that she would consider ending her campaign backing Osborn if she does not have a clear path to victory. But she denied that she entered the Democratic primary with the intent to drop out.”I will drop out when and if the time comes that I cannot win in November. And I think anybody with any dignity should do that,” Burbank said, saying she would evaluate her prospects based on polling, and she aims to make a decision in time to remove her name from the November ballot. Questions about...