Union steamfitter Dan Osborn is running against incumbent Republican Sen. Deb Fischer in Nebraska, one of the country's reddest states — and there are signs that the race could be much closer than expected. Osborn is an independent, not a Democrat, and insists he's not aligned with either major political party. But the narrow focus of his platform suggests a possible model for taking on Republicans in states where the Democratic brand is particularly weak.
The U.S. Senate race in the Cornhusker State suddenly registered on the national radar after a recent Split Ticket and Survey USA poll that found Osborn trailing Fischer by just one point, 39 to 38 percent.
