Cindy Burbank Wins Nebraska Democratic Senate Primary as Independent Candidate Gains Polling Traction
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An unusual Senate primary in Nebraska has a winner. Cindy Burbank, a Democrat and retired pharmacy tech, has won the Democratic nomination in the state's May 12 Senate primary. But she may not stay in the race for long: Burbank has promised to drop out of the general election and endorse Dan Osborn, a populist independent, if she wins the nomination. The race comes as opponents attempt to flip incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts' seat in November.
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The Guardian US“This is why Ricketts put a plant into the Dem primary … he knows a head to head race with Osborn is competitive and he needs candidates on the ballot to peel off votes,” Jane Kleeb, the head of the Nebraska Democratic party, wrote on Twitter this week. “Vote for Cindy Burbank for US Senate so Ricketts candidate he placed in our Dem primary doesn’t advance.”
Washington ExaminerBoth Forbes and Osborn have denied being plants in the primary election. Democrats’ strategy to boost Burbank to pave the way for Osborn faced a legal setback when Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen removed Burbank from the ballot, arguing that she was not running “in good faith” because of her public pledge to step aside. But the Nebraska Supreme Court later reinstated her candidacy, ruling that challenges to ballot access had been filed too late.
HuffPostThe Nebraska seat where Powell leads is based around Omaha and is seen as one of the most likely seats to flip from Republican to Democratic control in 2026. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won it easily two years ago, and incumbent Republican Rep. Don Bacon decided to retire rather than wage a difficult reelection battle.
Washington TimesThe Omaha-area district, where Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, is one of the Democratic Party’s biggest targets this midterm season. It’s also a national focus every four years in presidential contests because Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of five times since 2008 - a “blue dot” in an otherwise sea of red.
New York TimesCindy Burbank Wins Senate Primary in Nebraska, but Plans to Drop Out to Help Dan Osborn Cindy Burbank has said she intends to exit the general-election race, clearing the field for Dan Osborn, an independent candidate, to face Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican.
NBC NewsBurbank, a pharmacy technician, said she jumped in the race after hearing chatter that Republicans were trying to place a Democrat on the ballot. Burbank said “some people” she met while working on previous campaigns asked if she would consider running, declining to specify but clarifying that they were not connected to Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb. Burbank said he did not believe they were associated with the Osborn campaign.
The HillPowell, Harding to face off in Nebraska House race to replace Bacon Democrat Denise Powell is projected to win the Democratic primary for Nebraska’s “blue dot” district Tuesday, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), setting up a key November matchup in the battle to replace retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). Powell, a political fundraiser, defeated State Sen. John Cavanaugh (D), a member of a prominent Democratic family…
Fox NewsEven though the Nebraska Democratic Party supports Osborn in the general election, community college instructor Cindy Burbank and pastor Bill Forbes faced off for the Democrats' nomination in the primary.
New York Post“The moral of the story: Vote for Cindy Burbank in the Primary Election today, not the fake Democrat plant, William ‘Bill’ Forbes!” the Nebraska Democratic Party urged voters in an X post Tuesday. “This is the way to break up the one-party rule in Nebraska. It starts with voting for Cindy!”
PBS NewsHourNebraska Democrats face off in House primary for the state's 'blue dot' district The fate of Nebraska's "blue dot" will play prominently as Democratic voters select a congressional nominee in the state's 2nd District.
NPR NewsOmaha's U.S. House race will test candidates' ability to reach beyond party linesOmaha, Neb., is home to a toss-up Congressional race this year. Voters have shown a willingness to vote for moderate candidates from both parties, but has the definition of a moderate now changed?
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A Democratic poll released Tuesday found Osborn with a 46% to 42% edge over Ricketts, with 12% of voters undecided.
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New York PostRicketts is polling behind Osborn in a survey released by a Democratic pollster on Monday. AP
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"Osborn is a perfect example of someone who is a culturally aligned working-class populist who can duck some of the baggage associated with the Democratic brand that we need to work on medium and long-term, but don't have time for in the short term," Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, previously told USA TODAY.
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Burbank defeated pastor William Forbes for the Democratic nomination, while Ricketts easily won his Republican primary.
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Fox NewsThe backing of the outgoing Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts helped Pillen top a crowded field of GOP rivals in the primary before going on to easily win the general election.
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At the same time, Republicans argue that Osborn is not really an independent candidate, but rather a secret Democrat due to campaign contributions he received from national Democrats and how his beliefs align with those of the party.
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NBC NewsOsborn 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.
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Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 New York Post Powell’s close race against state Sen. John Cavanaugh was called by the Associated Press about 24 hours after polls closed in the Cornhusker state.
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02 Washington Examiner With Powell now the Democratic nominee, Cavanaugh will retain his seat in the state Senate, with his term not set to expire until January 2029.
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03 NBC News In an interview Friday ahead of the primary, Powell dismissed concerns that a bruising ad campaign against her — including Cavanaugh and his allies’ labeling her “dark money Denise” — would hurt her chances in a general election.
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04 HuffPost For more than a decade, Democrats have put out television ads, digital spots and mail pieces aiming to convince Republican primary voters to vote for GOP primary candidates they believed would be easy to defeat in a general election. In many cases, it has worked.
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05 USA Today Burbank won the Democratic Senate primary by 89% with an estimated 92% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press and CNN.
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06 Fox News The governor, a practicing veterinarian and chair of Pillen Family Farms who also played defensive back for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team five decades ago, was first elected in 2022.
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07 Washington Times The issue has defined the primary contest perhaps more than any other. Opponents say the ‘blue dot’ is in danger
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08 The Guardian US And in the Democratic US Senate primary, the two candidates both face accusations that they are not authentic, as the best hope for a Republican loss in November comes from an independent candidate, whom state Democrats have thrown their support behind.
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