Nebraska voters head to the polls Tuesday for primary elections that will set the matchups for the fall, but it’s a Democratic U.S. Senate primary marked by mutual accusations of bad faith that has taken center stage.
Cindy Burbank, a pharmacy technician and community college instructor, and Bill Forbes, a pastor, are the two Democrats on the ballot. Each accuses the other of being a “fake” candidate with no real intention of competing in a general election, the Associated Press explains. The state Democratic Party has endorsed Burbank for the primary and is backing independent Dan Osborn for the general election, looking to clear the field for Osborn’s challenge to Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. Party officials contend that Forbes jumped into the race at the last minute solely to ensure a Democrat appears on the November ballot, thereby drawing votes away from Osborn and aiding Ricketts. Forbes, a registered Democrat, denies the allegation.
Osborn, an industrial mechanic and military veteran, lost to Fischer in 2024 by about 7 percentage points, a closer margin than expected in a state that leans heavily Republican. Democratic leaders originally did not plan to run any general election candidate, hoping to avoid splitting the vote. Burbank’s campaign website says Osborn “deserves a fair shot against Ricketts,” and she cites keeping Forbes off the November ballot as a key priority of her run.
The primary has not drawn much money: Burbank reported roughly $4,300 in contributions through April 22, while Forbes reported no monetary contributions, according to AP data. A legal fight briefly removed Burbank from the ballot in March after Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen acted on a GOP complaint accusing her of not running in good faith; the Nebraska Supreme Court ordered her back on.
Ricketts, who was appointed to the seat in 2023 and later won a special election, faces four Republican primary opponents but is expected to advance easily. On the gubernatorial side, incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Pillen is challenged by five other Republicans, while Democrats will pick between former state Sen. Lynne Walz and Larry Marvin, who has run for Senate four times since 2012.
The race to replace retiring Republican Rep. Don Bacon in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District has drawn a crowded Democratic field of six candidates. The seat is a top target for Democrats seeking to recapture the House in 2026.
Nebraska has about 1.3 million registered voters — roughly 621,000 Republicans and 328,000 Democrats. Polls close across both Mountain and Central time zones at 9 p.m. ET. Most counties are expected to release all or nearly all of their early and absentee vote results in the first update of the night, often before any in-person Election Day totals appear. In the 2022 and 2024 primaries, about 65% of the Democratic vote and 39% of the Republican vote was cast before Election Day. As of Thursday, roughly 49,000 Democratic primary ballots and 56,000 Republican primary ballots had already been returned.