{"id":2600321,"date":"2026-05-08T10:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/this-is-a-con-democrats-use-nebraska-senate-primary-to-boost-fake-independent\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T10:09:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:09:44","slug":"this-is-a-con-democrats-use-nebraska-senate-primary-to-boost-fake-independent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/this-is-a-con-democrats-use-nebraska-senate-primary-to-boost-fake-independent\/","title":{"rendered":"Dems Use Nebraska Senate Primary To Boost &#8216;Fake Independent&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthis-is-a-con-democrats-use-nebraska-senate-primary-to-boost-fake-independent%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2600321&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This article argues that Nebraska Democrats are using next week\u2019s 2026 U.S. Senate primary in a way that will ultimately benefit their preferred general-election candidate while undermining a fair contest. It says the likely matchup in November hinges on whether Republican Pete Ricketts wins the GOP primary, and that the Democrat-backed \u201cnonpartisan\u201d candidate Dan Osborn-described as a \u201cfake independent\u201d-would then face him.<\/p>\n<p>The piece claims that Democrat leaders and donors have positioned Osborn as a puppet-like choice to an actual partisan Democrat candidate, citing his ties to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/meet-the-two-groups-behind-plot-to-kick-trump-off-the-ballot-and-he-isnt-the-only-target\/\" title=\"Introducing the Two Groups Plotting to Remove Trump from ... (with More Targets)\">left-leaning donors<\/a> and strategists, including national Democrats and groups linked to Marc Elias. It also alleges that Osborn has used platforms and campaign practices the article characterizes as problematic, including ActBlue and complaints that campaign funds were steered to family members.<\/p>\n<p>it further focuses on the Nebraska Democratic primary, where Cindy Burbank and William Forbes are competing. The article portrays Burbank as a \u201cplaceholder\u201d whose campaign is meant to remove or weaken \u201cfake\u201d opposition in the primary-particularly \u201cfake Forbes,\u201d which it says aims to split the vote against Ricketts-so that Democratic voters will support Osborn in the general election. It recounts that Burbank was initially removed from the ballot due to claims she did not intend to serve if elected, but later regained access through litigation, which the article attributes to Marc Elias\u2019s law firm. The text also points to statements it claims show Nebraska Democrats endorse Osborn while urging Burbank voters to turn out.<\/p>\n<p>the article broadens its argument by saying Nebraska is just one more example of Democrats \u201crigging\u201d elections-comparing it to other national controversies it discusses, such as nominee replacement efforts in 2024 and various <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >gerrymandering-related conflicts-arguing<\/a> that Democrats treat \u201cdemocracy\u201d as something to be manipulated when it advances their agenda.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Nebraskans will vote next week in the U.S Senate primary race to determine which Republican and which Democrat will face off in November for the congressional seat. But a closer look reveals the latest in Democrat election rigging \u2014 complete with legal help from Russia Collusion hoaxer Marc Elias. The apparent master plan involves leveraging the primary race to prop up the so-called \u201cnonpartisan\u201d candidate vying for the Senate seat, who, under an \u201cindependent\u201d facade, has deep leftist <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/democrats\/dan-osborn-campaign-staffer-called-to-defund-police-and-attended-anti-cop-rally-with-severed-pig-heads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ties<\/a> that could threaten fair representation in the <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Presidential_voting_trends_in_Nebraska\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">red<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/2024-election\/results\/nebraska\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">state<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/United_States_Senate_election_in_Nebraska,_2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">May 12<\/a>, Democrat candidates Cindy Burbank and William Forbes will face off in the Democrat primary for the U.S. Senate seat. Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts will face his primary opposition on the same day. However, as The New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/nebraska-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">points out<\/a>, if Ricketts secures the primary victory, his competitor in the general election is most likely to be Dan Osborn \u2014 the \u201cnonpartisan\u201d candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/senate-candidate-running-independent-continues-bankrolled-left-wing-money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">endorsed<\/a> by the Nebraska Democrat leaders and widely known to be a \u201cfake independent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Osborn has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fight.agency\/gallery#5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claimed<\/a> he is \u201cnot beholden to a party boss.\u201d But as Fox News has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/senate-candidate-running-independent-continues-bankrolled-left-wing-money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detailed<\/a>, Osborn received campaign contributions from prominent, out-of-state Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and, during his failed 2024 campaign for the same seat, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/national-dems-bankroll-campaign-fake-independent-senate-candidate-midwestern-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sen. Chuck Schumer\u2019s PAC<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Osborn has also been a client of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fight.agency\/gallery#!\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fight Agency<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/national-dems-bankroll-campaign-fake-independent-senate-candidate-midwestern-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democrat strategist<\/a> agency that also collaborated with leftists like Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani. Osborn also uses the clearly <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/20\/new-house-report-details-actblues-illicit-foreign-donations-and-a-cover-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fraud-ridden<\/a> Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue and has come under fire for \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/senate-hopeful-deep-dem-ties-has-paid-family-over-350k-from-his-campaign-coffers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">funneling<\/a>\u201d a large quantity of campaign cash to members of his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/senate-hopeful-deep-dem-ties-slapped-with-scathing-complaint\">family<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia told The Federalist \u201cthere\u2019s no doubt\u201d Osborn \u201cwants to import the radical left\u2019s agenda into Nebraska.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/senate-candidate-running-independent-continues-bankrolled-left-wing-money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">According<\/a> to Fox, \u201ceven <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/schumer-points-nebraska-independent-candidate-democrat-gain-amid-dark-money-scrutiny\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">top Democrats have suggested<\/a> they will pick up another seat in Congress if Osborn wins.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/United_States_Senate_election_in_Nebraska,_2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Unlike in 2024<\/a>, candidates are running in a Democrat primary in Nebraska for the U.S. Senate seat this year. As previously mentioned, this includes Burbank, who was <a href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/2026\/03\/17\/evnen-removes-nebraska-democratic-u-s-senate-candidate-burbank-from-ballot\/\">thrown off the primary ballot<\/a> in March by Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnan. According to the Nebraska Examiner, Evnan\u2019s decision came after Nebraska Republicans filed a complaint alleging Burbank \u201cis not a \u2018good-faith\u2019 candidate, because she has no plans to serve in the office she seeks.\u201d They highlighted remarks on the Democrat\u2019s website, where she \u201cwrote that if she won the Democratic nomination, she would support nonpartisan candidate Dan Osborn against Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Burbank <a href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/2026\/03\/23\/nebraska-u-s-senate-candidate-back-on-ballot-state-high-court-rules-sos-acted-too-late\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">successfully<\/a> sued to get back on the ballot, <a href=\"https:\/\/courthousenews.com\/nebraska-us-senate-candidate-sues-after-being-taken-off-the-ballot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">represented<\/a> by none other than Democrat lawfare-fiend <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/marc-elias\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marc Elias<\/a>\u2018 law firm. (Notably, Elias\u2019 law firm is also on Osborn\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/disbursements\/?data_type=processed&#038;committee_id=C00901355&#038;recipient_name=elias+law+group&#038;two_year_transaction_period=2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">payroll<\/a>, according to FEC filings.)<\/p>\n<p>Burbank\u2019s campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/cindyburbank.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a> still endorses Osborn, including her obvious commitment to help him secure a \u201cfair shot against Ricketts.\u201d In fact, the primary purpose of Burbank\u2019s campaign is clearly to promote Osborn and disparage her fellow Democrat candidate, Forbes, whom she and other state Democrats claim is a \u201cfake\u201d planted by Ricketts in the primary to \u201csplit the vote against him and win.\u201d Forbes said he voted for Trump in previous elections but also insisted \u201cthat he\u2019s a lifelong Democrat,\u201d CNN <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/cthI0#selection-3209.159-3209.188\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Nebraska Democrat officials <a href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/2026\/03\/17\/evnen-removes-nebraska-democratic-u-s-senate-candidate-burbank-from-ballot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claimed<\/a> Burbank\u2019s campaign was to counteract Forbes, but Ricketts has \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/briefs\/nebraska-u-s-senate-democratic-primary-fundraising-lopsided\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">denied any involvement with Forbes<\/a>,\u201d the Nebraska Examiner reported last month.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, Burbank is not merely running to \u201csplit the vote\u201d as Forbes is accused of doing. After setting herself up as a Democrat in the primary, she is expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/2026\/03\/23\/nebraska-u-s-senate-candidate-back-on-ballot-state-high-court-rules-sos-acted-too-late\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drop out <\/a>of the race if she wins the nomination, thus presumably using her victory to send her voters to Osborn.<\/p>\n<p>Nebraska Republican Party Chair Mary-Jane Truemper told The Federalist that \u201cCindy Burbank is not a candidate. She is a placeholder, and everyone knows it. She filed to win a nomination she intends to hand to Dan Osborn, and the Nebraska Democratic Party has been bankrolling that strategy from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Truemper also pointed out how both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reels\/DXdNK-8jDYL\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Osborn<\/a> and the chair of the state\u2019s Democrat Party, Jane Kleeb, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NebraskaDemocraticParty\/posts\/a-message-from-ndp-chair-jane-fleming-kleeb-regarding-the-us-senate-race-involvi\/1509686300529420\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> voters to go vote for Burbank in the primary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJane Kleeb is endorsing Osborn with one hand and pushing Burbank voters to the polls with the other,\u201d she said. \u201cOsborn himself is begging Democrats to vote for her. This is not politics. This is a con. We fully expect Burbank to follow through on her own stated plan and disappear the moment the primary is called.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Nebraska Democrat Party essentially admitted to the plan on X.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Enter Cindy Burbank. We must vote for her to knock fake Forbes out of the Primary and allow Osborn to take on Ricketts one-on-one in Nov. This is how we send Ricketts packing. This is the way to break the one-party rule. Know the facts as you vote early or vote on Tues, May 12th.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nebraska Democratic Party (@NebraskaDems) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NebraskaDems\/status\/2051814180991225983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Federalist reached out to Osborn\u2019s campaign, Burbank, and Nebraska Democrats for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Democrat Election Rigging<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-senate-republicans-pile-on-pressure-to-approve-2k-stimulus-payments\/\" title=\"President Trump, ...ate Republicans pile on pressure to approve K stimulus payments\">apparent effort<\/a> in Nebraska to foist up a Senate candidate for voters who does not even plan to compete for the congressional seat is just the latest example of Democrats exploiting elections and voters to consolidate power \u2014 only pretending to care about \u201cDemocracy\u201d when it benefits their agenda.<\/p>\n<p>This is the party that essentially launched a coup to unilaterally replace then-President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 presidential nominee \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/22\/the-ousting-of-biden-was-a-textbook-coup-detat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">even after<\/a> voters supported Biden in the primaries. Ironically, this is also the party \u2014 when independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy decided before the 2024 general election that it would be more detrimental for the country for him to split the vote between Harris and Trump in certain states \u2014 that fought to <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/10\/north-carolina-supreme-court-orders-rfk-jr-s-removal-from-ballots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">keep him on<\/a> the ballot in the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/10\/09\/there-is-no-legal-justification-for-michigan-keeping-rfk-jr-s-name-on-the-ballot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">states<\/a> where Kennedy\u2019s absence might help Trump. On the other hand, leftists in states like <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/12\/13\/the-case-to-remove-trump-from-the-colorado-ballot-is-constitutionally-illiterate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Colorado<\/a> tried to kick Trump off the 2024 ballot altogether. <\/p>\n<p>On a more local and recent note, when it became clear this year that the sexual assault scandal surrounding Democrat gubernatorial candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/eric-swalwell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Eric Swalwell<\/a> might lead to a GOP victory in California, Democrats did not hesitate to <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/13\/eric-swalwell-suspends-campaign-amid-sexual-assault-accusations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">box him out<\/a>, either.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the 2026 midterms, Democrats have also already been relentless in their efforts to launch expansive \u2014 and in the case of left-wing-run Virginia, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/04\/virginia-court-we-cant-say-whether-dems-gerrymandering-is-illegal-until-after-they-try-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">potentially illegal<\/a> \u2014 gerrymandering campaigns to take back the majority in the House of Representatives. And that doesn\u2019t even include Democrat efforts to rig elections in their favor by redistricting according to race. Even though the Supreme Court put the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/29\/supreme-court-smacks-down-rampant-race-based-gerrymandering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">kibosh<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-blocks-congressional-maps-passed-by-fellow-republicans\/\" title=\"DeSantis Blocks Congressional Maps Passed By Fellow Republicans\">unconstitutional racial gerrymandering<\/a> last week, reports emerged beforehand that the Democrat-appointed justices were <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/18\/explosive-report-as-dobbs-majority-faced-death-threats-liberal-justices-slow-walked-release\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slow-walking<\/a> the decision so that it would \u201cnot be issued in time for many Republican states to actually go in and redistrict based on the decision.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the latest deep-dive in Nebraska once again highlights, Democrats will stop at nothing to redefine and rig so-called \u201cDemocracy\u201d in their favor. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Maisey Jefferson is a staff editor at The Federalist. She graduated from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gordon.edu\/\">Gordon College<\/a> in the greater Boston area with a degree in English and Professional Writing. You can follow her on X at <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jeffermaisey\">@jeffermaisey<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nebraskans vote next week for the U.S. Senate primary, but it exposes alleged Democrat election rigging aided by Marc Elias<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2168,"featured_media":2600322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-9.23.44-PM.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32923,79328,79326,32504,79327],"class_list":["post-2600321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-democratic-party","tag-disinformation-claims","tag-nebraska-politics","tag-political-strategy","tag-state-senate-elections"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-9.23.44-PM.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2600321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2600321"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2600321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2600325,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2600321\/revisions\/2600325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2600322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2600321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2600321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2600321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}