Nebraska Primary Results Are In: Ricketts vs. Osborn Confirmed, Democratic Senate Nominee Plans to Quit the Race, and the Secretary of State Just Lost His Job

The Senate Race Nobody Expected to Look Like This

Sen. Pete Ricketts won his Republican primary Tuesday, securing the GOP nomination to defend his Nebraska Senate seat. The Democratic primary, however, produced an unusual result: winner Cindy Burbank announced plans to drop out immediately to clear the field for independent Dan Osborn, according to The Hill and the New York Times.

Osborn — a veteran and mechanic who nearly pulled off a Senate upset as an independent in 2024 — will become the de facto challenger to Ricketts. Democrats calculated that an official party nominee on the ballot would split the anti-Ricketts vote. Burbank's withdrawal means Nebraska voters will have no Democratic Senate candidate in November, only an independent backed by Democratic support.

Osborn's near-victory in 2024 against incumbent Deb Fischer suggests the seat may be more competitive than Republicans anticipated. With Democratic alignment and presumably greater resources, Ricketts cannot treat this as a safe hold.

The Governor's Race: Long Odds for Democrats

Gov. Jim Pillen won his Republican renomination without drama, according to Fox News and The Hill. He'll face Democrat Lynne Walz — a former state senator — in November.

Nebraska is a deeply red state, and Pillen is an incumbent. The New York Times described the race as presenting Democrats with an "uphill fight" in a "solidly Republican state." Walz is a credible candidate, but the fundamentals favor the Republican.

Omaha's House Race: Genuinely Competitive

Retiring Rep. Don Bacon's seat in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District — the "blue dot" that awards an electoral vote separately from the rest of the state — is legitimately competitive.

Republican Brinker Harding, who ran unopposed with a Trump endorsement, is set. On the Democratic side, Denise Powell was projected to defeat Nebraska State Sen. John Cavanaugh, according to Decision Desk HQ projections cited by The Hill and NPR. The margin was razor-thin in initial results.

Why did Democratic-aligned outside groups pour money into the Democratic primary? If Cavanaugh won, Republican Gov. Pillen would appoint his state legislature replacement — potentially cementing a Republican supermajority there, according to NPR.

Powell vs. Harding in November is a genuine toss-up. Democrats and independents combined outnumber registered Republicans in the district, per Nebraska Secretary of State data cited by NPR. But registration doesn't determine election outcomes. Don Bacon held that seat since 2017 as a moderate. Harding has Trump's endorsement. Whether Trump-backed candidates perform as well in Omaha as in western Nebraska remains an open question.

Nebraska's Secretary of State Lost His Primary

Secretary of State Bob Evnen — Nebraska's sitting top elections official — lost his Republican primary to Omaha businessman Scott Petersen, according to Decision Desk HQ as reported by The Hill.

An incumbent Secretary of State losing a primary is uncommon. In a state where the GOP controls everything, it amounts to a significant shift. Petersen, an Omaha businessman, will now almost certainly become the next Secretary of State given Nebraska's Republican lean. A sitting elections official getting ousted by his own party during a national debate about election integrity and administration is a notable development.

What November Holds

Nebraska voters in November will choose between a Trump-backed Republican senator and an independent who will likely caucus with Democrats if elected. They'll pick between a Republican governor and a Democrat facing long odds. Omaha will decide a genuine swing House seat that could affect the House majority.

The Secretary of State race also carries weight — whoever holds that office runs Nebraska's elections.