Democrats abandon Senate bids to boost independents in Nebraska, Idaho

Democratic Senate nominees in Nebraska and Idaho are leaving their races, clearing the way for independent candidates to challenge Republican incumbents in states where the Democratic label has become a severe electoral liability.

Idaho nominee David Roth announced July 28 that he will withdraw, leaving former Democratic state lawmaker Todd Achilles as the principal challenger to Republican Sen. Jim Risch. In Nebraska, Democratic nominee Cindy Burbank filed to leave the race July 17, following through on a pledge to step aside for independent Dan Osborn against Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts.

The emerging strategy could be attempted in Montana and South Dakota as well.

CatholicVote Vice President of Advocacy Joshua Mercer told Zeale News that the trend looks less like a grassroots rejection of party politics than calculated political rebranding.

“The Democrat brand is completely toxic in rural states like Nebraska and Idaho,” Mercer said. “So now left-wing candidates have cooked up a scheme to cosplay as ‘Independent’ candidates in order to fool voters back home. But make no mistake, if they are elected they will go to DC and be in lockstep with Chuck Schumer and his radical open borders and pro-trans agenda.”

Roth said he decided to end his Idaho campaign so he could focus on “helping Democrats win up and down the ballot.” He did not formally endorse Achilles, but his departure removes the only major Democratic candidate competing with the independent for anti-Risch votes.

Achilles served in the Idaho House as a Democrat after Republican Gov. Brad Little appointed him to a vacant seat in 2024. He resigned from the legislature and left the party in 2025 to launch his independent Senate campaign.

Risch argued that the change in label does not make Achilles politically independent.

“There were two Democrats in this race,” Risch said. “Now there’s one. Changing your party label doesn’t change your record. Idaho voters won’t be fooled, and I’ll keep fighting for conservative Idaho values.”

Achilles describes himself as a potential Senate swing vote and says he rejects the conventional “left-right divide.” He has expressed support for securing the U.S.-Mexico border and some Trump administration economic policies. However, he opposes the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement inside the country and came out against an Idaho law protecting girls from having to compete against male athletes in girls’ sports.

In Nebraska, the coordination has been more explicit. As Zeale News previously reported, Burbank ran in the Democratic primary while openly promising to withdraw from the general election and support Osborn if she won. The Nebraska Democratic Party backed Burbank in the primary and now backs Osborn for the November election.

Osborn, a mechanic, former union leader, and military veteran, came within 7 percentage points of defeating Republican Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024, when Democrats declined to field their own nominee. President Donald Trump carried Nebraska by approximately 20 points that year.

The Nebraska Democratic Party has formally endorsed Osborn for 2026. During his previous campaign, Osborn also received $57,800 from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and benefited from approximately $3.85 million in spending by the Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC, according to Nebraska television station NTV.

Osborn nevertheless insists that he is independent and has said he would not caucus with either party if elected. He has also rejected a national law protecting unborn children from abortion, saying that he is “personally pro-life” but believes abortion should remain legal.