OMAHA — Two weeks after spurning a likely endorsement from the Nebraska Democratic Party, nonpartisan Senate candidate Dan Osborn has not yet drawn a party-backed write-in candidate against Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer.

And he could avoid one altogether.

Leaders in Nebraska’s second-largest political party recently met and discussed whether to embrace state party Chair Jane Kleeb’s May 15 push for a party-approved write-in candidate. 

Discussions continue, attendees told the Examiner.

Kleeb said the party still could recruit a write-in candidate. She said Democrats still want Osborn to agree to endorse President Joe Biden and caucus with the Democrats if elected. 

“That is not asking too much,” she said.

Hasn’t decided in presidential contest

Douglas County Democratic Party Chair CJ King echoed Kleeb in saying he would prefer that Osborn side with Democrats, regardless of whether he wants a formal endorsement from the party.

“I hope he wins and caucuses with the Democrats,” King said. “I’d love to see him endorse President Biden.”

Osborn, a former Omaha-area labor leader at Kellogg’s, has said that he doesn’t know which party he will caucus with and that he hasn’t decided on who he will back in the presidential race. He has said he doesn’t want to alienate Republican supporters, including some who support former President Donald Trump.

“I’m a true independent who will never be beholden to any political party or politician, and that’s why I’ve been clear that I’m not taking their endorsements,” Osborn said. “I’m focused on defeating do-nothing Deb Fischer.”

Osborn may have to take sides

Kleeb and Senate observers have said Osborn will have to take sides in order to join Senate committees, where much of the day-to-day work in Congress gets done. Osborn said earlier this month he might have more influence in a tightly divided Senate by being open.

After the primary, Osborn announced he would not seek or accept endorsements from political parties — after spending months courting the state Democrats and persuading them to try keeping other candidates out of the Fischer race.

Osborn supporters also helped Kerry Eddy win the Legal Marijuana NOW Party’s Senate primary, even as Eddy posted plans to drop out and shift her supporters toward Osborn. And Osborn briefly sought the backing of other third parties, including the Libertarian Party.

Fischer’s campaign declined to comment for this story. Before the May primary, Fischer, a former teacher, state senator and school board member in Valentine, Neb., described Osborn as “a Democrat in sheep’s clothing.”

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – A Kenyan Delegation visited Central Nebraska on Friday and toured facilities they could potentially send employees to.

The truck driver shortage is no secret.

“There are tens of thousands of truck driving jobs that are open at any given time,” said Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen.

But, global workforce developments in collaboration with Kenya hope to combat that issue.

Grand Island Express is one of the facilities the delegation toured, and they currently have over 20 employees with green-card sponsorships and 60 more in the process of obtaining one.

Evnen addressed concerns Nebraskans may have about the global workforce development, “In this industry, the immigrants aren’t taking people’s jobs, they’re filling jobs that are going unfilled.”

Once the ball gets rolling, Evnen said they expect to have around 500 Kenyans join the workforce.

Kenya Principal Secretary, State Department for Diaspora Affairs, Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Roseline Njogu, has led the delegation and said in her time here, she’s seen similarities in Nebraska and Kenya.

“When people bring 100% or 120% of who they are into these places that just comes through in the workplace,” said Njogu. “So I saw that here and I thought that’s something I’ve also seen at home and I think these values even across all these miles are shared and make for a good, a good pairing.”

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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A former Nebraska Boy Scouts leader accused of child sex crimes entered a plea in federal court Thursday.

John Shores, Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. He faces 15-20 years in prison as part of the plea agreement, which included the dismissal of several similar charges. Acting U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr reminds the public there is no parole in the federal system.

In August 2023, Shores used the social messaging platform Whisper to communicate with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female.

Shores asked the officer to exchange naked pictures and eventually arranged to meet with the user, fully under the belief that he’d be encountering a teenage girl. When Shores arrived at the location where they arranged the meeting, officers seized four phones from his vehicle.

The devices underwent forensic examination, which revealed that in July 2020, Shores had conversed with an actual 13-year-old girl living in southeastern Nebraska, who investigators were able to identify.

Shores had previously been associated with the Boy Scouts, but officials with the organization confirmed shortly after the initial allegations last August that he was no longer involved.

Shores is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 23.

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