OSBORN
Dan Osborn

NEBRASKA'S STEAMFITTER

WON'T BACK DOWN

Still punching a time card. Still welding pipe. And launching another run to break the billionaire's grip on the Senate.

The Working Man Who Won't Back Down

In a coffee shop in Omaha, Nebraska, Dan Osborn's voice carries the steady resolve of a man used to both welding pipe and weathering storms.

"I'm still working 40 hours a week as a steamfitter. Raising a family, staying busy—that's what I like."

Osborn, a Navy veteran and former Kellogg's strike leader, is launching another run for the U.S. Senate. Just months after nearly toppling an incumbent in 2024, he's back—this time challenging billionaire Republican Pete Ricketts.

"If you'd asked me right after the last election, I'd have said, 'No way, I'm done.' But my kids are scared for their future. My daughter told me, 'Dad, I just know you'd be better for people than Pete Ricketts.' So we have to do this again."

COFFEE & CONCRETE

"My daughter told me, 'Dad, I just know you'd be better for people than Pete Ricketts.' So we have to do this again."

Dan Osborn speaking at a rally
Watch: Dan Osborn | Won’t Back Down — IVA Feature
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A Blue-Collar Candidate in a Billionaire's Race

The matchup could not be starker. Ricketts, the heir to a financial empire and part-owner of the Chicago Cubs, versus Osborn, who still punches a time card.

"Don't mess with my baseball and don't mess with my coffee."

He points out how tax cuts have enriched team owners while ticket prices push families out of the ballpark. His populist fire is rooted not in ideology but in fairness.

"When is enough enough? We're reaching that point."

That sense of imbalance—economic and political—drives Osborn's platform. He talks about enforcing antitrust laws, protecting small farms, holding corporations accountable, and fixing what he calls a "rigged system."

"If it costs $200 million to run for the Senate, the system's broken. It's a government for the one percent and the corporations. Not for the people anymore."

Blue Collar vs Billionaire - Dan Osborn vs Pete Ricketts
COST OF ENTRY

THE
MATCHUP

"IF IT COSTS $200 MILLION TO RUN FOR THE SENATE, THE SYSTEM'S BROKEN."

Lessons From the First Run

Osborn's first campaign surprised everyone. Running as an independent, he captured 47 percent of the statewide vote. He traveled from farm towns to factory floors, hosting more than 200 public events.

"I went where people live and work and listened. This time, we're starting earlier and stronger. The plane's already built."

The 2026 campaign will add more digital strategy, more rural outreach—and even more of the face-to-face conversations that became Osborn's hallmark.

"I want to do 300 public events this time. You can't beat human connection."

THE RIGGED SYSTEM

"It's a government for the one percent."

47%

THE INDEPENDENT VOTE

Captured in his first run, surprising the establishment.

200+

EVENTS HOSTED

From farm towns to factory floors. Aiming for 300 this time.

100%

HUMAN CONNECTION

"The plane's already built. You can't beat human connection."

STRIKE

"We stood on that picket line for 77 days. Corporations learned that working people won't be pushed around."

Politics Without the Party Lines

Osborn bristles at attempts to pigeonhole him as secretly partisan.

"You only have to listen to me talk. Sometimes it feels like being a kid in the middle of a nasty divorce—the Republicans want to beat Democrats, and Democrats want to beat Republicans. Meanwhile, the American people get left behind."

He's blunt about President Biden's failings on immigration and equally critical of corporations that exploit migrant labor.

"It all ties together. They keep us divided over wedge issues while they laugh all the way to the bank."

And when the conversation turns to Donald Trump—again the dominant figure in Republican politics—Osborn's tone stays steady.

"I'm not running against Trump. I'm running against Ricketts. If something helps Nebraskans, I'll support it. I'm not anti just to be anti."

Dan Osborn - Still on the Clock

STILL ON THE CLOCK

After 77 days on the Kellogg's picket line, Osborn learned what solidarity means. Now he's taking that fight to Washington.

"I'm still working 40 hours a week as a steamfitter. I know what it's like to worry about making rent."

DIPLOMAT, NOT DEMAGOGUE

"Supporting Ukraine and our allies is America first. But it shouldn't be a blank check."

Osborn respects Rep. Don Bacon, calling him "a smart operator." He's not chasing labels, he's chasing solutions.

DONATELLO

Diplomat, Not Demagogue

When asked about foreign policy, Osborn's answer underscores his pragmatism.

"Supporting Ukraine and our allies is America first. But it shouldn't be a blank check. Everything we do internationally should be accountable."

It's a statement that avoids the extremes defining America's political discourse—precisely the space Osborn hopes to occupy. He respects Rep. Don Bacon, another Nebraska veteran stepping back from Congress, calling him "a smart operator" and "a good man."

Osborn's own bipartisan instincts show he's not chasing labels but solutions.

The Purple Mask of Donatello

For all his seriousness, Osborn doesn't mind a little levity. Asked about his favorite Ninja Turtle, he doesn't hesitate:

"Donatello. I like the staff. I like fixing things."

It's a small moment that perfectly captures his ethos—grounded, hands-on, and ready to get to work.

Paul Rieckhoff, his interviewer, laughs and draws the metaphor out: "Wave a stick around, fix some stuff." Osborn smiles at the thought. After all, that's the essence of his campaign—to grab the tools at hand and repair what's broken, not just in Washington but in American life itself.

The Philosophy

THE PURPLE MASK

Asked about his favorite Ninja Turtle, he doesn't hesitate: Donatello.

"I like the staff. I like fixing things."

That's the essence of his campaign—to grab the tools at hand and repair what's broken, not just in Washington but in American life itself.

This is winnable.

Dan Osborn nearly beat an incumbent senator in 2024 as an independent. This time he's going bigger — against a billionaire who thinks Nebraska is for sale.

He's running on three things both parties claim to care about and neither has delivered:

  • Antitrust enforcement and protection for small farms and small business
  • Holding both parties accountable to the working class, not the donor class
  • An end to political dynasties that treat Senate seats like family heirlooms

We need your help to put him over the top.

  • → Donate: osbornforsenate.com
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