Senate Candidates Discuss Immigration, Housing Ahead of Midterms

Ricketts and Osborn tackle key issues as election approaches

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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With the midterm election less than 10 months away, Nebraska Senate candidates Sen. Pete Ricketts and his Independent challenger Dan Osborn sat down to discuss key issues facing voters, including immigration reform, affordable housing, and the partial government shutdown.

Why it matters

The Senate race in Nebraska is expected to be closely watched as voters weigh in on the candidates' stances on major policy issues. Ricketts and Osborn's discussion provides insight into how they would approach these challenges if elected.

The details

Ricketts said he's open to negotiations on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding, while Osborn called for more accountability and a path to citizenship. Both candidates agreed the economy and affordability are top concerns, with Osborn criticizing Ricketts' support for a beef import deal with Argentina and Ricketts touting efforts to remove barriers for rural housing. The candidates also differed on how to handle voter-approved medical marijuana in the state.

  • The midterm election is less than 10 months away.
  • The partial government shutdown is an immediate issue facing Congress.

The players

Sen. Pete Ricketts

The incumbent Republican senator running for re-election.

Dan Osborn

Ricketts' Independent challenger in the Senate race.

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What they’re saying

“This disruption and constant shutdowns that the democrats keep doing are really bad for running the government. It ends up being more expensive to do that.”

— Sen. Pete Ricketts (klkntv.com)

“There needs to be accountability for the agents; there needs to be accountability all the way up to Kristi Noem. We need a path to citizenship. We need to figure out this immigration policy because we haven't had any meaningful, humane immigration reform since I've been alive.”

— Dan Osborn (klkntv.com)

“The people who are going to benefit from this [beef import] deal are the corporations and the meat packers. It's just frustrating that our elected officials seem to be more interested in helping the corporate elite than they do the people on the ground doing the work.”

— Dan Osborn (klkntv.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This race highlights the stark differences between the Republican and Independent candidates on key issues like immigration, the economy, and the role of government. Voters in Nebraska will have a clear choice to make in the upcoming midterm election.