President Donald Trump is campaigning in Nebraska next week, as Republican Senator Pete Ricketts faces a competitive challenge from independent Dan Osborn in the traditionally conservative state. Nebraska backed Trump by more than 20 points in the 2024 election, so it is not the kind of state that would ordinarily be seen as competitive. But the race is viewed as tighter than the GOP would like ahead of November's midterm elections.
Osborn, a labor leader who has said he would not caucus with either party if elected, is viewed as a uniquely strong candidate after his showing in the 2024 Senate race against Republican Senator Deb Fischer. His 7-point loss was seen as an overperformance given the state’s Republican voting record and Trump’s significant victory on the same ticket. Republicans are also facing tougher headwinds this year, as Trump’s national approval rating has fallen due to voter frustration with the economy, cost of living and gas prices as a result of the continuing war with Iran.
Historically, when the president is unpopular, his party suffers losses in the midterms, and Democrats have sought to make this year's elections a referendum on Trump. Trump is set to campaign in Grand Island on Monday. Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre told Newsweek the president “looks forward to rallying in support of Senator Pete Ricketts, a proven business leader and public servant who will always put Nebraskans first.” She noted that Trump “will be barnstorming the country ahead of the midterms.” The rally is set to be held at Nebraska State Fair's Pinnacle Bank Expo Center, and doors will open at 2:30 p.m., according to The Omaha World Herald.
Trump is expected to speak at about 6 p.m., the newspaper reported. It comes as Republicans try to avert losses in the midterms, as polling suggests their majorities in the House and Senate are at risk. An Osborn victory in Nebraska would complicate their path to holding onto the majority, so the GOP is working to motivate their base to ensure Ricketts holds onto the seat.
Newsweek reached out to the Ricketts campaign for comment via email. The rally could help Ricketts “energize the Republican base and motivate them to go out and vote,” Kevin Smith, a political scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told Newsweek on Tuesday. The fact that Trump is in Nebraska campaigning for an incumbent conservative member of the GOP is “perhaps a sign of a tough electoral environment for Republicans,” he said.
He is also set to appear in Durant, Oklahoma, on October 1. Oklahoma is even more conservative than Nebraska, giving Trump a 34-point victory in 2024. Osborn responded to the announcement in a statement to Newsweek, saying that Ricketts is “begging the party bosses to come save this election for him.
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