Nebraska Senate Race Candidate Denies Being a Ricketts 'Plant'
William Forbes, a Trump-supporting pastor, entered Nebraska’s Democratic primary last minute, potentially splitting votes and undermining Democrats’ strategy to back independent Dan Osborn.
- In early March, 79-year-old pastor William Forbes filed to run in the Nebraska Democratic Senate primary, upending state party leaders' coordinated strategy to clear the field for independent candidate Dan Osborn.
- Nebraska Democrats opted to skip their own primary to support Osborn, aiming to defeat incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts after Osborn's surprisingly competitive 2024 performance, when he came within about 7 points of Senator Deb Fischer in a state Trump carried by roughly 20 points.
- CNN reports revealed Forbes voted for President Donald Trump multiple times, attended a Republican Party leadership event in January, and posted sermons on his since-deleted Facebook page railing against "radical feminism" and "cultural Marxism."
- Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb alleged Forbes is "running to trick voters" through a "political maneuver engineered by Pete Ricketts to split the opposition vote," prompting Cindy Burbank to file for the primary solely to defeat Forbes and endorse Osborn if she wins.
- Voters head to the polls for the May 12 primary, with analysts warning that Forbes could siphon enough votes from Osborn to hand Republicans an easy general election victory.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Dems turn on Senate candidate after learning he voted for Trump
The Nebraska Democratic Party has denounced William Forbes, 79, a pastor running for Senate as a Democrat, calling him a "Republican Party plant." Forbes has voted for President Donald Trump in multiple elections, attended a GOP-backed leadership summit in January, and opposed abortion access.…
Trump-Voting Pastor Accused of Running for Senate as a Democrat to Sour Nebraska’s Chance of Flipping Blue
William Forbes, a 79-year-old pastor from rural Nebraska, entered the Democratic primary just before the filing deadline in early MarchChairs with signs reading "Nebraska Democrats" at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in ChicagoCredit: Nathan Howard/Sipa USA via APNEED TO KNOWNebraska Democrats have accused William Forbes, a 79-year-old pastor from rural Nebraska, of deceiving voters by acting as a Republican "plant" in Nebraska's Senate …
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