United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2026
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← 2024
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| U.S. Senate, Nebraska |
|---|
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: February 17, 2026 (incumbent) March 2, 2026 (non-incumbent) |
| Primary: May 12, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Central time zone); 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Mountain time zone) |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd Nebraska elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
Voters in Nebraska will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 3, 2026. The primary is May 12, 2026. The filing deadline for incumbents was February 17, 2026. The filing deadline for non-incumbents was March 2, 2026. The election will fill the Class II Senate seat held by Pete Ricketts (R), who first took office in 2023.
The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in the 120th Congress. Thirty-three of the 100 U.S. Senate seats are up for election, and another two seats are up for special election. Democrats hold 13 of the seats up for election, and Republicans hold 22.
Currently, Republicans have a 53-45 majority in the chamber.[1] To read more about the U.S. Senate elections taking place this year, click here.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2026 (May 12 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2026 (May 12 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
General election
The primary will occur on May 12, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Dan Osborn is running in the general election for U.S. Senate Nebraska on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Dan Osborn (Nonpartisan) | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Cindy Burbank and William Forbes are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Cindy Burbank | ||
| William Forbes | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2026.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Legal Marijuana Now Party primary election
Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Mike Marvin and Earl Starkey are running in the Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Mike Marvin | ||
| Earl Starkey | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here. You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Nebraska
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Ricketts | Republican Party | $3,607,203 | $3,562,993 | $567,128 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Cindy Burbank | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| William Forbes | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Edward Dunn | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Todd Knobel | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Eric Mortimore | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Debb Axtell Schultz | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Mac Stevens | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Mike Marvin | Legal Marijuana Now Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Earl Starkey | Legal Marijuana Now Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Dan Osborn | Nonpartisan | $2,121,436 | $1,608,939 | $575,663 | As of December 31, 2025 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[2]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[3][4][5]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Nebraska, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 3/10/2026 | 3/3/2026 | 2/24/2026 | 2/17/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Nebraska in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Nebraska, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Nebraska | U.S. Senate | Ballot-qualified party | N/A | 1% of annual salary | Incumbents: 2/17/2026, Non-incumbents: 3/2/2026 | Source |
| Nebraska | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 4,000 | 1% of annual salary | Incumbents: 2/17/2026, Non-incumbents: 3/2/2026 | Source |
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2018.
2024
See also: United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Deb Fischer defeated Dan Osborn in the general election for U.S. Senate Nebraska on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deb Fischer (R) | 53.2 | 499,124 | |
| Dan Osborn (Nonpartisan) | 46.5 | 436,493 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 2,719 | ||
| Total votes: 938,336 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kerry Eddy (Legal Marijuana Now Party)
Democratic primary election
No Democratic candidates ran in the primary.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Paul Theobald (D)
- Michael Janulewicz (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Deb Fischer defeated Arron Kowalski in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deb Fischer | 79.8 | 174,820 | |
| Arron Kowalski | 20.2 | 44,334 | ||
| Total votes: 219,154 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Legal Marijuana Now Party primary election
Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Kerry Eddy defeated Kenneth Peterson in the Legal Marijuana Now Party primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kerry Eddy ![]() | 70.8 | 743 | |
| Kenneth Peterson | 29.2 | 306 | ||
| Total votes: 1,049 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Ben Sasse defeated Chris Janicek, Preston Love Jr., and Gene Siadek in the general election for U.S. Senate Nebraska on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Sasse (R) | 62.7 | 583,507 | |
Chris Janicek (D) ![]() | 24.4 | 227,191 | ||
| Preston Love Jr. (D) (Write-in) | 6.3 | 58,411 | ||
Gene Siadek (L) ![]() | 5.9 | 55,115 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 5,788 | ||
| Total votes: 930,012 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Eric Dilliard (L)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris Janicek ![]() | 30.7 | 46,247 | |
| Angie Philips | 23.8 | 35,929 | ||
| Alisha Shelton | 22.7 | 34,284 | ||
Andrew Stock ![]() | 11.4 | 17,156 | ||
| Larry Marvin | 4.6 | 6,868 | ||
| Daniel Wik | 3.8 | 5,765 | ||
| Dennis Macek | 3.0 | 4,453 | ||
| Total votes: 150,702 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Ben Sasse defeated Matt Innis in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Sasse | 75.2 | 215,207 | |
| Matt Innis | 24.8 | 70,921 | ||
| Total votes: 286,128 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Gene Siadek advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Nebraska on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Gene Siadek ![]() | 100.0 | 2,517 | |
| Total votes: 2,517 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Nebraska
Incumbent Deb Fischer defeated Jane Raybould and Jim Schultz in the general election for U.S. Senate Nebraska on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deb Fischer (R) | 57.7 | 403,151 | |
| Jane Raybould (D) | 38.6 | 269,917 | ||
| Jim Schultz (L) | 3.6 | 25,349 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 466 | ||
| Total votes: 698,883 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska's 1st | Mike Flood | R+6 |
| Nebraska's 2nd | Don Bacon | D+3 |
| Nebraska's 3rd | Adrian Smith | R+27 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris | Donald Trump |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska's 1st | 43.0% | 56.0% |
| Nebraska's 2nd | 52.0% | 47.0% |
| Nebraska's 3rd | 23.0% | 76.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 53.7% of Nebraskans lived in one of the state's 91 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 46.3% lived in one of 2 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Nebraska was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Nebraska following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Nebraska county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 91 | 53.7% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 2 | 46.3% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 2 | 46.3% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 91 | 53.7% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Nebraska presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 6 Democratic wins
- 27 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Nebraska.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Nebraska
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Nebraska.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Nebraska's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Nebraska | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 3 | 5 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Nebraska's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
Nebraska State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | |
| Other | 2 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 49 | |
Trifecta control
Nebraska Party Control: 1992-2025
Seven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
The table below details demographic data in Nebraska and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Nebraska | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | United States | |
| Population | 1,961,504 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 76,814 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 79.9% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 4.8% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 2.5% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 1% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 4.2% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 7.6% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 12.3% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 92.1% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 34.1% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $74,985 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 10.3% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Both independent U.S. senators — Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine) — caucus with the Democrats.
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
= candidate completed the