Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, appointed in 2023 following Ben Sasse’s resignation, and elected in 2024 to complete the remainder of the term, is seeking a full term in 2026. Democrats have indicated they will not field a candidate, while independent Dan Osborn, who ran in the 2024 Senate race, has announced his candidacy. Osborn’s performance in 2024 was the strongest for an independent in a Nebraska Senate contest and the best showing for a challenger in a Republican-held seat that cycle.

Nebraska, a sparsely populated Great Plains state, has not elected a Democrat statewide since 2006 and has voted Republican in nearly every presidential election since 1867. Donald Trump carried the state by 21 points in 2024, one of his smallest gains nationwide, as Nebraska—like its northern neighbor Kansas—has shifted over 10 points toward Democrats relative to the national average since 2012.