Nebraska Independent Dan Osborn to Run for Senate Again

Nebraska Independent Dan Osborn announced Tuesday he will make another run at the Senate, following his surprising finish in last year's election.

Osborn will be running against Republican Pete Ricketts, the former governor who won a special election last year when former Sen. Ben Sasse resigned to become president of the University of Florida. "Everything that I talk about, I think Pete Ricketts embodies," Osborn said in an interview.

"Billionaires shouldn't be able to buy their way into Senate seats, first of all," Osborn said. "But it's this race to the bottom that people like me are experiencing, because it's — everything is so expensive, and it's just extremely difficult to get ahead in life."

Osborn, a mechanic and Navy veteran who said he will not caucus with either party if elected, plans to maintain his independent streak. "First of all, I've been a registered independent from the time I could vote," Osborn said when asked of Democrat financial support. "But second of all, I didn't ask for that money. This time around, I'm not going to ask for it again. The Democrats are going to do what the Democrats do, and Republicans are going to do what the Republicans are going to do. And I just want to show the people that an independent can win in a state like Nebraska or any state, for that matter."

In November, Republican Sen. Deb Fischer maintained her three-term hold on the seat by defeating Osborn who benefited from the Democrats' decision to not field a candidate. Despite a seven-point loss, Osborn surprised many political watchers with a relatively strong showing in the deep-red state due to his moderate stances on workers, veterans, and his self-described "reasonable gun safety measures."

The Ricketts' camp has already come out against Osborn saying he's only mildly in play due to out-of-state donations. "Senator Ricketts has consistently worked for and voted to secure the border and cut taxes for Nebraska workers, families, and seniors," Ricketts campaign spokesman Will Coup said in a statement Tuesday to NBC News. "Dan Osborn is bought and paid for by his liberal, out-of-state, coastal donors. Dan Osborn will side with Chuck Schumer over Nebraska families and vote with Democrats to open the border, hike taxes, and stop the America First agenda."