Dan Osborn

Osborn was born on March 29, 1975, and his family moved to Omaha when he was seven.[3] He graduated from Roncalli Catholic High School in 1994 and lives in Omaha, Nebraska.[3] He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school and served four years as a storekeeper aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64), and he later served in the Nebraska Army National Guard.[1][5][3]

In 2004 he began work as an industrial mechanic at Kellogg's plant in Omaha, where he became president of Local 50G of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union.[1][2][3] He led the 2021 Kellogg's strike, which was prompted by a two-tier pay system and lasted 77 days.[3] He later worked in boiler maintenance and repair at Boys Town and joined Steamfitters and Plumbers Local 464.[3]

Osborn announced an independent campaign for the U.S. Senate on October 5, 2023, and lost to incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer (R), 53.2% to 46.5%.[1][2][3] He has been registered as nonpartisan since 2004.[3] In 2026 he again ran without a party label, this time against Sen. Pete Ricketts, and he submitted about 12,500 signatures on June 11, 2026, to qualify for the ballot.[1][2][3] The Nebraska Democratic Party endorsed him, and he said he would not caucus with either party if he won.[1][2][3] His campaign centered on congressional ethics reform, consumer-protection and antitrust measures, and opposition to cuts in Social Security and Medicare.[1][2][3] He received 43.9% of the vote to Pete Ricketts' 50.1%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]