Pete Ricketts has won re-election to the US Senate in Nebraska, defeating independent candidate Dan Osborn in a closely watched contest, according to a projection.
Mr Ricketts, 62, a former governor of Nebraska, was appointed to the Senate in 2023. He held off a challenge from Mr Osborn, 51, a former union leader making his second Senate bid.
Mr Osborn lost to Republican Senator Deb Fischer by seven points in 2024. Democrats again cleared the way for him to run as an independent as he sought to unseat Mr Ricketts in the traditionally conservative state.
Nebraska has not elected a non-Republican candidate since 2006. However, the state’s sizeable non-partisan electorate and an unfavourable climate for the Republican Party helped make the race competitive, amid discontent over the war with Iran and high petrol and diesel prices.
Mr Osborn said he would not have caucused with Democrats had he won. His defeat means Republicans avoid losing another seat from their Senate majority, after a series of Democratic victories in states carried comfortably by the president in 2024.
