2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska

The 2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Nebraska. Primary elections will be held on May 12, 2026. Nebraska has been represented in the U.S. Senate exclusively by Republicans since (/wiki/2012UnitedStatesSenateelectioninNebraska).

Source: Wikipedia

Article

2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska

Incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts was appointed to the seat in 2023 after the resignation of Ben Sasse. He won the 2024 special election to serve out the remaining two years of Sasse's term and is seeking a full term. Democrats have indicated they will not field a candidate in the race. Dan Osborn, an independent, who ran in the Class I Senate race in 2024, announced his candidacy in July 2025.

Republican primary

2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska

The statewide primary election day will occur on May 12, 2026.

Declared

• Pete Ricketts, incumbent U.S. senator • Todd Knobel, entrepreneur • Eric Mortimore • Debb Axtell Schultz • Mac Stevens, candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesSenatespecialelectioninNebraska)

Fundraising

<table><thead><tr><th>Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Candidate</td><td>Raised</td><td>Spent</td><td>Cash on hand</td></tr><tr><td>Pete Ricketts (R)</td><td>$3,597,203</td><td>$3,562,993</td><td>$557,128</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Federal Election Commission</td></tr></tbody></table>

Results

<table><thead><tr><th>Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Pete Ricketts (incumbent)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Todd Knobel</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Eric Mortimore</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Debb Axtel Schultz</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Republican</td><td>Mac Stevens</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Total votes</td><td></td><td>100.00</td></tr></tbody></table>

Democratic primary

2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska

Jane Kleeb, the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, had stated that the party does not intend to recruit a candidate in this race, similar to their actions taken in 2024. In August 2025, the Nebraska Democratic Party endorsed Osborn.

In March 2026, the Nebraska Democratic Party publicly called for William Forbes, a Democratic candidate, to withdraw from the race. Kleeb alleged that Forbes was running to "trick voters", accusing him of wanting to "ban all access to abortion", and urged Democrats to support Osborn's campaign.

On March 17, 2026, Secretary of State of Nebraska Bob Evnen removed Cindy Burbank from the ballot following a complaint from Nebraska Republican Party that claimed Burbank was not a "good-faith" candidate with no intentions of serving if elected.

Burbank filed a lawsuit in Lancaster County District Court immediately following the removal. The following Thursday, March 19, 2026, a Lancaster County District Court judge dismissed Burbank's lawsuit. On March 23, 2026, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that Secretary Evnen missed a deadline to consider complaints and reinstated Burbank to the ballot.

Results

<table><thead><tr><th>Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Democratic</td><td>Cindy Burbank</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Democratic</td><td>William Forbes</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Total votes</td><td></td><td>100.00</td></tr></tbody></table>

Independents

Declared

• Dan Osborn, former president of BCTGM International Union Local 50G and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesSenateelectioninNebraska)

Fundraising

<table><thead><tr><th>Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Candidate</td><td>Raised</td><td>Spent</td><td>Cash on hand</td></tr><tr><td>Dan Osborn (I)</td><td>$2,121,436</td><td>$1,608,939</td><td>$575,663</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Federal Election Commission</td></tr></tbody></table>

Third-party candidates

Declared

• Mike Marvin, former labor union official • Earl Starkey, marijuana advocate

Results

<table><thead><tr><th>Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Legal Marijuana Now</td><td>Mike Marvin</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Legal Marijuana Now</td><td>Earl Starkey</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Total votes</td><td></td><td>100.00</td></tr></tbody></table>

General election

Predictions

<table><thead><tr><th>Source</th><th>Ranking</th><th>As of</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Inside Elections</td><td>Solid R</td><td>March 27, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>The Cook Political Report</td><td>Solid R</td><td>March 27, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Sabato's Crystal Ball</td><td>Likely R</td><td>March 27, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Race To The WH</td><td>Lean R</td><td>March 27, 2026</td></tr></tbody></table>

Polling

<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>Pete Ricketts (R)</th><th>Dan Osborn (I)</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Impact Research (D)</td><td>February 2–5, 2026</td><td>600 (LV)</td><td>± 4.0%</td><td>48%</td><td>47%</td><td>5%</td></tr><tr><td>Lake Research Partners (D)</td><td>December 11–17, 2025</td><td>900 (LV)</td><td>–</td><td>48%</td><td>47%</td><td>5%</td></tr><tr><td>Lake Research Partners (D)</td><td>July 23–29, 2025</td><td>900 (LV)</td><td>± 3.3%</td><td>46%</td><td>47%</td><td>7%</td></tr><tr><td>Change Research (D)</td><td>March 28 – April 1, 2025</td><td>524 (LV)</td><td>± 4.6%</td><td>46%</td><td>45%</td><td>9%</td></tr></tbody></table>