A conservative pastor running in Nebraska's Democratic U.S. Senate primary has drawn sharp accusations from state Democrats, who claim he is a Republican plant designed to sabotage their strategy. William Forbes, a 79-year-old pastor from Paxton, entered the race shortly before the March 2 filing deadline. The Nebraska Democratic Party, which endorsed independent candidate Dan Osborn, labeled Forbes' campaign a 'political maneuver engineered by Pete Ricketts to split the opposition vote and protect his Senate seat.'

Forbes describes himself as a lifelong Democrat but has voted for former President Donald Trump multiple times. Videos from his now-deleted Facebook page show him criticizing 'cultural Marxism,' Black Lives Matter, and 'radical feminism,' while praising Republican governors for abortion restrictions and calling President Joe Biden 'dementia Joe.' He attended a January Nebraska Republican Party-sponsored leadership training by the conservative Leadership Institute. Forbes denied being a plant in a CNN interview, stating, 'I saw that there wasn’t any Democrat on the ticket. … I’m the only Democrat, and the Democrats are going for Dan Osborn.' He added that the party has strayed from its values since John F. Kennedy.

The Nebraska Democratic Party initially planned not to field a candidate and endorsed Osborn, a Navy veteran and former union leader who narrowly lost to Sen. Deb Fischer as an independent in 2024. Osborn, running nonpartisan again, is gathering signatures for the November ballot and leads or ties incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts in recent polls. A February poll by Impact Research showed Ricketts at 48% and Osborn at 47%.

To counter Forbes, Democrat Cindy Burbank from Omaha filed at the deadline. Her campaign website, titled 'NOT a Pete Ricketts plant,' featured photos of Forbes at anti-abortion events and stated she would drop out and support Osborn if she won the primary to give him a 'fair shot against Ricketts.' The Nebraska Republican Party complained that Burbank lacked 'good-faith' intent under state law, citing her statements as evidence she would not serve if elected. Secretary of State Bob Evnen removed her from the May 12 primary ballot on March 17.

Burbank sued, arguing her statements reflected a strategy, not a refusal to serve. The Nebraska Supreme Court reinstated her on March 23, ruling Evnen acted after the seven-day challenge window post-filing deadline. The court did not rule on her good-faith status. Party chair Jane Kleeb said Republicans prefer 'courtroom fights over earning votes.' Ricketts' campaign denied any role in the Democratic primary, calling the accusations 'completely false.'

Allegations of plants extend to other races. Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate Mike Marvin faces claims from a former party chair of being an Osborn plant due to past union ties; Marvin denied it. Ricketts faces token Republican primary challengers, including Todd Knobel, Eric Mortimore, Debb Axtell Schultz, and Mac Stevens. Osborn has raised over $2 million as of late 2025.

Ricketts, appointed in 2023 after Sen. Ben Sasse's resignation and winner of the 2024 special election, seeks a full term in the deep-red state. The May 12 primaries precede the November 3 general election.