Independent Dan Osborn may have lost his Senate race in deep-red Nebraska by 7 percentage points, but some still saw lessons from his campaign on how to win over blue-collar voters. The former labor union leader performed 14 points better than Kamala Harris, which, some Democrats argued, is because he ran on a populist economic platform and is a sign that the party could benefit from similar messaging.
On Tuesday, Osborn is announcing his next move: He’s starting a political action committee aimed at electing working-class candidates of all political stripes. He said he wants his Working Class Heroes Fund to help Democratic, Republican or independent contenders. Osborn is also returning this week to his job as a steamfitter because, he said, he needs to pay his household bills.
“I tried to contact all my debt collectors, and they don’t really give a shit that I lost a very close election,” he laughed. “They need their money for my mortgage and my insurance.”
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Why are so few working-class people in elected office?
Because it’s extremely difficult to do.
I gotta go back to work as a steamfitter. Most people who run for office probably can take a few months or a year off and lick their wounds and go live on a beach somewhere. But I gotta go back and start welding some iron.
Some Democrats are looking to you as a case study. Why did you overperform the top of the ticket?
I think, ultimately, it just boils down to: people are ready for a change. They’re thirsty for a change. They’re sick and tired of the two parties fighting, not getting anything done. We see it with the farm bill not getting passed, border bills, etc., etc. And I think the working class is tired of being ruled by the elites.
Your campaign combined economic populist ideas with more moderate or conservative cultural positions. I’m thinking of one of your TV ads where you offered to help Donald Trump build his wall. Do you think there’s an appetite among voters for candidates who are maybe economically populist or economically liberal and more culturally moderate or conservative?
Absolutely there is.
In Nebraska, registering as an independent right now is the fastest growing demographic of people registering to vote. Whether they’re leaving their party or it’s young people registering to vote, I think there’s certainly an appetite for people who are just frustrated with the parties. You talked about the wall. The bottom line is, our border’s broken. Our immigration system is broken.
We just see things not getting done. The reason why they’re not getting done is because they’re all bought and sold and they’re owned by corporations. That is truly the divider in the country. So I think that’s where the appetite stems from.
Who did you vote for in the presidential election?
I didn’t take endorsements. I didn’t give endorsements. I voted for who I thought would be the best leader for the country. And that’s all I can tell you.
Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts is up for reelection in 2026. Would you run for office again?
Well, Pete’s one of my best friends. I’m kidding. He’s not.
I’m going to leave all options on the table for sure. First of all, I gotta go back to work and start paying my bills.
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