Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn brought his campaign to North Platte Wednesday evening and spoke to about 50 people about working-class representation, political reform, and concerns about data centers.
The visit followed the completion of his statewide 93-county tour. Osborn said a stop in Hayes Center earlier Wednesday marked the tour’s final county.
Osborn, who is challenging Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts in the Nov. 3 election, said traveling Nebraska reinforced his belief that work and community unite people despite their political differences. When disaster strikes, neighbors help clear debris and rebuild fences without asking how anyone voted, he said.
“Working class people deserve a seat at the table in Washington, D.C.,” Osborn said. “Because if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Rachel Nelson of North Platte introduced Osborn, identifying herself as a former chair of the Nebraska Libertarian Party and a friend of his since his first campaign, when he challenged Sen. Deb Fisher. She encouraged attendees to vote and share information about his candidacy.
Osborn credited North Platte railroad workers with inspiring his first Senate bid. In 2023, he said, workers dissatisfied with Nebraska’s federal delegation approached him about running as an independent against Fischer.
Railroad union workers had learned Osborn was a union leader during the Kellogg’s strike. Osborn said leading Omaha workers through a 77-day strike as a turning point. Workers were concerned about health insurance, cost-of-living adjustments, and a two-tier wage system. On the picket line, political affiliations mattered less than shared concerns about wages and benefits.
Although he initially dismissed the suggestion that he run for office, he came to see it as an opportunity to give working people a stronger voice in government.
After losing to Fischer in 2024, he discussed another campaign with his family. His daughter was concerned that she might never be able to afford a home. That helped persuade him to run again, he said.
Data centers
During questions from the audience, an attendee, Muriel Clark of Sutherland, asked what Osborn could do as a senator to address data center impacts, citing efforts in Lincoln County to slow development and strengthen regulations.
Osborn said technology companies should not be allowed to regulate themselves. He called for an independent task force whose members do not benefit financially from the data center and the artificial intelligence companies they oversee.
“We have to hold data centers and AI accountable,” he said.
He is concerned about water consumption and pressure on the Ogallala Aquifer, stressing that communities need protections as data center development moves forward.
“Don’t ask what you can do for your data center, but what your data center can do for you,” he said.
Political reform
Asked about term limits and age limits for elected officials, he spoke favorably of term limits and advocated limiting Supreme Court justices’ tenure.
He said an upper age limit for officeholders could also be considered. He did not propose a specific age.
Osborn said those reforms should include prohibiting former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists. Their relationships with former colleagues and other influential officials make them effective advocates for the interests that hire them, he said.
He also called for a congressional stock trading ban and criminal consequences for officials who use inside information to enrich themselves.
Supreme Court justices need stronger ethics rules, he said.
Osborn argued that Congress should assert its authority as a co-equal branch of government, including over tariffs and decisions about war. He criticized the cycle of presidents reversing their predecessors’ executive orders and establishing new policies without congressional action.
“It’s Congress’s role to make the laws of the land,” he said.
On health care, Osborn said he would seek input from nurses, doctors, hospital administrators, and patient advocates to develop solutions.
Gun rights, abortion
Nate Peterson asked whether Osborn would support COVID-style lockdowns, mask mandates, or vaccine mandates. He answered no.
Peterson asked whether he would support red flag laws or magazine capacity restrictions for gun owners. Osborn said his position would depend on the language of a proposal. He said he is committed to the Second Amendment while also saying children should be able to attend school and return home safely.
“I have no interest in, and I don’t know anybody who does, to go and take people’s guns,” he said.
He did not answer the question about magazine capacities.
On abortion, Osborn said he is personally pro-life and would not advocate abortion as a means of birth control. However, he said the federal government should not dictate what women do with their bodies.
Osborn closed by encouraging attendees to volunteer and speak with friends, relatives, and neighbors about his campaign. He said his first campaign inspired other working people to seek office, and emphasized the importance of personal conversations in building a grassroots effort.
© 2026 The North Platte Bulletin. All rights reserved!