Independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn has announced significant endorsements from major Nebraska unions for his campaign, along with the achievement of collecting enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Osborn, a U.S. Navy and Nebraska Army National Guard veteran and steamfitter from Omaha, was joined by local union leaders/members at the Steamfitters & Plumbers Local Union #464 in Omaha on his lunch break to make the announcement Thursday.
At the event, the Nebraska State AFL-CIO — the state chapter representing the federation of labor unions in the United States — announced their support for Osborn in the U.S. Senate race, challenging incumbent Senator Deb Fischer.
“…because we know he will be a champion for working people,” said Lori J. Meyers, Communications Director/Mobilization Coordinator for the Nebraska State AFL-CIO. “Osborn has proven that he will fight to ensure that workers have a voice in the workplace, protect, and strengthen labor standards and expand employment protections. Our affiliates believe that Dan Osborn is the right person to represent working people in the U.S. Senate.”
Osborn, who gained national attention for leading of a successful Kellogg’s workers-strike in 2021, stated that his campaign has raised $550,000 — the most ever raised by any independent senate candidate in Nebraska since he announced his candidacy in September of last year. Fischer’s campaign most recently reported having $3.27 million cash on hand.
“Our statewide team of volunteers have collected the number of signatures needed for me to qualify for the ballot,” Osborn added, saying that the campaign will continue signature collection efforts to provide a “cushion” before turning them in for certification by the Secretary of State.
Since the Nebraska Democratic Party did not file a candidate, Osborn is set to go head-to-head with Fishcer on the November general election ballot. A recent poll suggests his ‘long-shot’ campaign against the twice-elected incumbent could be competitive.
“There’s nobody like me in the United Senate Senate. Nobody who works for an hourly wage or gets their hands dirty working overtime to make ends meet. Nobody has taken on a multi-national multi-billion dollar corporation to protect middle-class jobs,” Osborn said. “I still work for a living, and my lunch break is almost over. So I’ve got to get back to work.” Osborn concluded his brief remarks.