Four Independents Run for Senate in Trump Country. Democrats Are Betting They Win

With the midterms days away, Democrats are leaning on a different kind of candidate in some of the reddest corners of the country. Four independents are running for the Senate in states President Trump won handily: Nebraska, Montana, Idaho and South Dakota. They argue that Trump's sinking approval ratings and public frustration over affordability give them an opening, and some Democrats are betting they are right.

In Nebraska, there is no Democrat in the Senate race at all. Dan Osborn, a mechanic who got his start in politics leading a strike at the Kellogg's plant in 2021, came within seven points of Republican Sen. Deb Fischer two years ago and is now challenging Sen. Pete Ricketts. Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb, who is also a DNC vice chair, said the party was transparent about its strategy. It ran a primary candidate with the stated intention of having her drop out to clear the way for Osborn, which led to a lawsuit seeking to force the party to replace her. "I'm a partisan Democrat," Kleeb said. "I also believe in building coalitions so we can win elections."

Osborn has crisscrossed the state on a 93-county tour, with a populist pitch denouncing money in politics. "I'm running against the entire establishment," he said. Ricketts has tried to brand him "Democrat Dan." In their debate, Ricketts used the nickname so many times that Osborn suggested they bring out a third podium. Sue McNeil, a lifelong Republican in Loup County, said she doesn't like the label and is backing Osborn because of frustration with the Trump administration and the GOP-controlled Congress, including the war with Iran and fuel prices.

Montana is a messier picture. Seth Bodnar, a former Green Beret and former president of the University of Montana, is running as an independent and says he won't caucus with either party if elected. Democrats there are split. Former Sen. Jon Tester and former Gov. Steve Bullock have endorsed Bodnar, while the Democratic nominee, Alani Bankhead, stayed in the race past the August deadline for leaving it. Bankhead said she and her family were harassed and that powerful figures nudged her to drop out. She also claimed in an interview with Montana PBS that she was offered a DNC job if she withdrew. The DNC denies that.

Former Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer said that had Bodnar run as a Democrat, "he'd be leading in this election." University of Montana political scientist Rob Saldin said the fight has been "really, really contentious" inside the state party, though Montana Democrats see the race as a chance to rebuild their brand.

The independents say their power would come from a closely divided Senate. Bodnar argued that an independent or a bloc of independents willing to work with either side could hold real leverage. The chamber's two current independents, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, both caucus with Democrats.

Kleeb acknowledged the strategy is partly about the party's own standing. "It's right that people have pushed back on our brand – it's a problem," she said. For now, she and other Democrats are hoping Osborn and his fellow independents can help deny Republicans a Senate majority.