An unusual political drama is unfolding in Nebraska’s primary election Tuesday, where two Democratic candidates seeking to challenge Republican Senator Pete Ricketts are trading accusations of being fraudulent contenders with no genuine intention to win.
The peculiar Senate primary battle features pharmacy technician and community college instructor Cindy Burbank facing off against pastor Bill Forbes. Each claims the other is a disingenuous candidate who won’t seriously compete in November’s general election.
Senator Ricketts, who took office in 2023 after being appointed to fill Ben Sasse’s seat and winning a special election in 2024, is expected to cruise through his Republican primary despite facing four challengers. Political observers anticipate his main November opponent will be independent Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and veteran who nearly defeated Senator Deb Fischer in 2024, losing by just 7 percentage points.
The Nebraska Democratic Party has endorsed Burbank for the primary while simultaneously backing independent Osborn for the fall campaign. Party officials initially planned to avoid fielding any general election candidate to unite behind Osborn’s independent bid. Forbes’ late entry into the race, combined with his previous statements and political stances, has led party leaders to suspect he joined the contest to ensure a Democrat appears on November’s ballot, potentially splitting anti-Ricketts votes and benefiting the incumbent.
Forbes has rejected these accusations, and official records confirm his Democratic Party registration.
Burbank also entered the race late and has made preventing Forbes from reaching the November ballot a central campaign goal. Her website states that Osborn “deserves a fair shot against Ricketts.”
In March, Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen removed Burbank from the ballot after the state Republican Party filed a complaint claiming she wasn’t campaigning sincerely. The Nebraska Supreme Court subsequently restored her ballot position.
Neither Democratic candidate has raised significant funds, with Burbank collecting approximately $4,300 through April 22 while Forbes reported no monetary contributions.
Republicans have controlled both Nebraska Senate seats since 2012, and the state isn’t considered a priority target for Democrats aiming to regain Senate control in 2026. However, a strong showing against Ricketts could provide Democrats additional flexibility as they pursue potentially winnable seats in Alaska, Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio.
The gubernatorial race features incumbent Republican Governor Jim Pillen against five primary opponents, while former state Senator Lynne Walz competes with perennial candidate Larry Marvin for the Democratic nomination. Marvin has unsuccessfully sought the Senate four times since 2012.
In Omaha’s 2nd Congressional District, six active candidates are pursuing the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Omaha City Councilmember Brinker Harding, who faces no primary opposition. The seat, currently held by retiring Republican Representative Don Bacon, represents a crucial opportunity for Democratic efforts to reclaim the House.
Additionally, eleven state legislative primaries are occurring. Though officially nonpartisan, most candidates align with either party. These contests will send two finalists to November’s general election, with voters selecting only one candidate in the primary.
Nebraska spans both Central and Mountain time zones, but all polling locations close simultaneously at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. The Associated Press will report results and call winners in competitive primaries for Senate, House, governor, secretary of state, and legislative seats.
Primary voting is restricted by party registration, preventing crossover voting between Republican and Democratic contests. The Democratic and Libertarian parties permit unaffiliated voters to participate in their primaries, while Republicans and the Legal Marijuana NOW party allow independents to vote only in federal races. Photo identification is mandatory for all voters.
Current registration totals approximately 1.3 million voters statewide, including roughly 621,000 Republicans and 328,000 Democrats. Historical turnout suggests about 18-22% of registered voters typically participate in Republican primaries, while Democratic primary participation runs around 8% of registered voters.
Early voting data shows approximately 39% of Republican ballots and 65% of Democratic ballots were cast before Election Day in recent elections. As of Thursday, about 56,000 Republican and 49,000 Democratic primary ballots had already been submitted.
Most of Nebraska’s 93 counties typically release early and absentee results in their initial reports, often before any Election Day totals become available. The most populous counties, Douglas and Lancaster, usually provide limited Election Day results in their first updates.
During Ricketts’ 2024 Senate primary, initial results appeared at 9 p.m. Eastern Time when polls closed, with 90% of votes counted by 12:10 a.m. and final tallies around 1:35 a.m. The Associated Press declared Ricketts the winner at 9:10 p.m.
The Associated Press only declares winners when no mathematical possibility exists for trailing candidates to overcome their deficits. Automatic recounts occur when margins fall within 1% of total votes cast in races exceeding 500 votes.
Tuesday’s primary results will set the stage for November elections that remain 175 days away.
