Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., suggested Democrats were poised to win a Nebraska Senate seat, apparently referring to Nebraska independent Dan Osborn as a member likely from the Democratic caucus, something the Senate candidate has consistently denied.
“We have a good chance of winning three seats,” Schumer told Democrats during a virtual rally with the Jewish Democratic Council of America in support of the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz.
“We’re tied in Texas. We’re a point or two behind in Nebraska. We’re only three points behind in Florida,” the New York Democrat said in a video obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Dan Osborn told Fox News Digital that he never spoke to Schumer. (Reuters | AP)
“So we have – we are poised to retain the Senate, win the House, retain the presidency,” Schumer continued.
There is no Democratic candidate named for the Senate race between incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Osborn, who is a union leader and mechanic.
Osborn’s campaign told Fox News Digital that he had never spoken to Schumer before.
“I am a true independent and have said repeatedly that I have no intention of caucusing with either party,” Osborn said in a statement.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, May 15, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“I’ve never spoken to Chuck Schumer, and he’s in for a rude awakening if he thinks I’m taking orders from him or anyone in Washington. My opponent Deb Fischer does whatever Mitch McConnell tells her It is what it is. We need an independent who will stand up to the party leaders and stop playing politics so we can finally secure the border, pass a farm bill and serve the country instead. to serve particular interests,” he added.
With each of the four independents currently in the U.S. Senate convening with Democrats, giving the party its current majority, Osborn reiterated that he would not convening with either party.
But that was complicated by the actions and remarks of Democrats who indicated they expected him to join them.
In addition to Schumer’s suggestion that Nebraska is a likely recovery opportunity for the party, a PAC associated with Democrat Harry Dunn, who is a former Capitol Police officer who previously ran for Congress, recently sent a fundraising text claiming: “Dan is an independent who will caucus with the Democrats. »
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Osborn challenged Fischer’s re-election bid, running as an independent. (Reuters)
The campaign disputed the text’s assertion and the PAC reportedly said the message was “incorrect” and was not coordinated with Osborn’s team.
The incidents also coincided with scrutiny of Osborn’s financial support from outside groups.
Many outside groups poured money into Nebraska as the Independent’s challenge to Fischer gained momentum, some of them with ties to Democrats and a controversial dark money group linked to billionaire George Soros.
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Hungarian-born American investor and Democratic donor George Soros (Fabrice Cofrini/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the top groups spending on Osborn’s behalf is Retire Career Politicians, which received $800,000 from the controversial dark money group, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, in a matter of months.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund notoriously keeps the identities of its donors secret, but notably received more than $75 million in grants from Soros’ Open Society Foundations between 2016 and 2022, according to the Open Society website Foundations.
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A representative for Schumer did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
In a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, Fischer beat Osborn by just two points, 48% to 46%.
The poll surveyed 1,194 Nebraska voters between October 23-26. The margin of error is +/- 3.2 percentage points.
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