Democrat moves to drop out of Nebraska’s Senate race, clearing the path for an independent

Nebraska Democratic Senate nominee Cindy Burbank has submitted a letter requesting her name be removed from the ballot, a move that would set up a one-on-one matchup between Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts and independent challenger Dan Osborn. Rani Taborek-Potter, a spokesperson with Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s office, confirmed to NBC News that the office received Burbank’s letter. Taborek-Potter added that the secretary of state will be sending a letter to the state attorney general to ask whether to honor Burbank’s request. Courier Nebraska first reported the news. “My candidacy for Senate was a privilege I’ll never forget,” Burbank said in a video sent via text message, later adding, “You deserve representation that works for you. I’ve looked at the numbers. I won’t be your next senator. So I have withdrawn my bid for US Senate.” Burbank did not endorse Osborn in her message, instead urging her voters to “educate yourselves about the remaining candidates.” The Democrat had repeatedly stressed she would consider dropping out and endorsing Osborn if she didn’t think she had a path to victory. Burbank’s website included language arguing that Osborn “deserves a fair shot against Ricketts,” and she told NBC News shortly before winning the Democratic nomination in May, “I will drop out when and if the time comes that I cannot win in November. And I think anybody with any dignity should do that.” She had denied she was solely running to set up a one-on-one battle between the Republican and the independent. But that matchup may occur nonetheless. The state party’s chairwoman, Jane Kleeb, wrote in a post on the social media platform X last year, “We are supporting Dan Osborn. We believe a coalition of Dems, Indys and Republicans can beat Ricketts and break up the one-party rule.” When asked by NBC News whether the state Democratic Party would fill the vacancy, communications director Jose Flores Jr. echoed Kleeb’s comments and said, “We will back the coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and independents who support Dan Osborn for US Senate.” A Democrat hasn’t won a Nebraska Senate seat since 2006. Osborn lost by almost 7 points during his 2024 Senate bid against Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris lost the state by more than 20 points in the presidential race. Nick Puglia, a regional press secretary at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, reacted to the news in a statement that referred to Osborn as “Democrat Dan Osborn.” “Nebraskans will reject Osborn again,” Puglia added.