Trump-Voting Pastor Accused of Running for Senate as a Democrat to Sour Nebraska’s Chance of Flipping Blue

The Nebraska Democratic Party is formally accusing U.S. Senate candidate William Forbes of acting as a Republican “plant” designed to protect incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts by fracturing the opposition vote.

The allegations follow the 79-year-old pastor’s last-minute entry into the Democratic primary, a move that disrupted a strategic effort by state Democrats to clear the field for Independent candidate Dan Osborn. Party officials claim Forbes, a rural pastor who admitted to voting for Donald Trump in multiple elections, is part of a “political maneuver” orchestrated to ensure Ricketts’ reelection.

“William Forbes is not running to serve Nebraskans. He is running to trick voters,” said Jane Kleeb, Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party. “Forbes is using the Democratic ballot line to deceive voters who deserve better.”

The Nebraska Democratic Party previously made the unconventional decision not to field a candidate, banking on Osborn—a Navy veteran and mechanic—as the most viable challenger to Ricketts. Forbes’ filing just before the March deadline forced a primary that the party hoped to avoid.

Forbes has vehemently denied the accusations, describing himself as a “real Democrat” and a “free thinker” comparable to John F. Kennedy or former Senator Ben Nelson. While he acknowledged attending a Nebraska Republican Party leadership summit in January and supporting Trump, he maintains his candidacy is legitimate. On Monday, Forbes suggested that the scrutiny regarding his background was a hit piece “planted” by the Osborn campaign.

The Ricketts campaign and the Nebraska GOP have distanced themselves from the controversy. A spokesperson for Ricketts stated the campaign played “no role” in the Democratic primary, while GOP Chair MJ Truemper asserted the party has no relationship with Forbes.

The race has been further mired in legal and tactical disputes:

• The Burbank Factor: Democrat Cindy Burbank also filed for the seat, though she stated she intends to drop out if she wins the nomination to support Osborn. The Nebraska Supreme Court recently reinstated her to the ballot after the Secretary of State attempted to remove her for not being a “good faith” candidate.
• Third-Party Complications: The Legal Marijuana NOW Party has leveled similar “plant” accusations against candidate Mike Marvin, claiming he is working for Osborn. In a bizarre twist, records show Burbank paid Marvin’s $1,740 filing fee, claiming she did so because she was “pissed off” by administrative hurdles facing the candidate.

As the May primary approaches, the escalating internal warfare threatens to undermine the coordinated effort to unseat Ricketts, leaving Nebraska’s anti-incumbent coalition increasingly fractured.