Nebraska Democrats nominated Cindy Burbank, a retired pharmacy technician, as their U.S. Senate candidate after she secured a decisive victory in the primary with 100,940 votes—more than eight times the 12,185 votes garnered by opponent William Forbes across all precincts. Burbank immediately pledged to withdraw from the general election, fulfilling her campaign promise to clear the path for independent candidate Dan Osborn.

The strategy centers on bypassing Republican Senator Pete Ricketts in November. Democrats argue that without a Democratic nominee splitting anti-Ricketts votes, Osborn—whose 2024 run came within seven points of defeating incumbent Deb Fischer—has a realistic chance to flip Nebraska’s Senate seat. The party endorsed Burbank for the primary and Osborn for the general election, explicitly designating Osborn as its preferred November candidate.

Forbes, described by Democrats as a “plant” designed to siphon votes from Osborn and bolster Ricketts’ position, denied accusations of being a partisan tool. State records confirmed Forbes was a registered Democrat, though reports indicated he voted for President Trump and opposed abortion access. The Nebraska Democratic Party maintains Burbank’s role was solely to win the primary and exit before November, while Ricketts secured his own primary victory with 155,472 votes out of 190,060 Republican ballots cast.

The race faced additional complications when Nebraska’s Republican secretary of state removed Burbank from the ballot prior to a Supreme Court restoration order. With statewide turnout at 26.99 percent and no partially reported precincts remaining, the primary delivered an overwhelming Democratic showing while leaving Ricketts’ incumbency as the central factor in November’s contest. Democrats acknowledge their Nebraska strategy reflects a weakened presence in the state, where Burbank’s exit is framed not as strength but as a necessary concession to Osborn’s potential victory.