Conservatives Sure Seem Nervous About the Nebraska Senate Race

The Senate map is so difficult for Democrats this November that one of their best chances of taking away a seat from Republicans is in ruby red Nebraska — with a candidate who isn't even a Democrat .

There have been few public polls released regarding the race. Republican polling suggests it's not close; other recent surveys show Dan Osborn — a steamfitter, industrial mechanic, and union leader — in striking distance against Sen. Deb Fischer .

New data suggests Republicans are beginning to take the race seriously: Last week, a conservative Super PAC, Heartland Resurgence, started running $479,000 in ads opposing Osborn. It's the first outside spending in the race to boost Fischer, who won her past two races by double digits.

Osborn, known for leading a 2021 strike at Kellogg's , is running as an independent, or nonpartisan candidate. Earlier this year, the Navy veteran publicly rejected the endorsements of any political parties — a decision that infuriated the state's Democratic Party, which planned to endorse him. Osborn has courted labor backing, winning the support of the United Auto Workers, and has been touting support from actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The candidate's decision to campaign purely as an independent may be his greatest strength — if the recent Republican ad blitz is any indication.

One ad from Heartland Resurgence repeatedly denounces Osborn as "Democrat Dan."

"He wants Nebraska to think he's an independent who will fight for you," says the ad. "But he's really just another liberal Democrat who'll fight with them."

An ad from Fischer's campaign describes Osborn as a "dangerous Trojan Horse" who would be a "rubber stamp" for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Osborn has campaigned against "illegal immigration," saying on his website that it "creates a pool of cheap labor with no rights and is detrimental to every American worker." Yet, the Heartland Resurgence ad says he "wants to give illegal immigrants the Social Security you paid for." Editor's picks

The independent candidate has run to the left on abortion. "I believe in a woman's decision on whether or not to have an abortion is between her and her doctor, it's not the federal government's place to dictate those things to people," Osborn said in an interview in March. "Deb Fischer believes in a complete abortion ban. I strongly disagree with that position."

The ad from Heartland Resurgence attacks Osborn over the issue, saying he "supports abortion until the moment of birth." The Fischer ad makes the exact same claim, that "Osborn supports abortion up until the moment of birth."

These have become common attack lines from Republicans as red-state abortion bans have become increasingly controversial. Nebraska currently has a 12-week abortion ban, with exceptions for instances of rape or incest or to save a mother's life. Trending

In November, Nebraskans will vote on two competing ballot measures : one to overturn its 12-week ban, and another to codify the ban in the state's constitution.