Independent candidate Dan Osborn promotes himself as a centrist but has hired two veteran Democratic Party operatives to manage the treasuries for his campaign and a new political committee aimed at appealing to conservative voters in Nebraska.
Osborn, who describes himself on his campaign website as a “lifelong Independent,” launched a bid Tuesday to challenge Republican Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts, just months after losing to Republican Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer. Alongside his primary campaign committee, Osborn’s team established an “authorized committee” named Conservatives for Osborn, intended to support his campaign, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
Brandon Philipczyk and James Vihstadt, who manage the treasuries of both the Osborn campaign and Conservatives for Osborn, have extensive experience in Democratic politics, the outlet reported. Philipczyk, the principal of Bison Strategies, worked as the director of operations for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign in Nevada and served as the national coordinated operations director for the Democratic National Committee until 2017.
Philipczyk also held positions with the Florida Democratic Party and participated in Mike Bloomberg’s 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. Vihstadt, a delegate for the Nebraska Democratic Party, has consistently donated to Democratic candidates.
This marks the latest instance of Osborn’s ties to the Democratic Party, despite his claims of political independence. During his initial campaign last year, Osborn downplayed his support from Democrats and claimed that, if elected, he would not align with either major political party.
National Democrats, however, saw Osborn as a potential ally. The Senate Majority PAC, controlled by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, contributed $3.8 million to a super PAC supporting Osborn’s bid. Schumer hinted just days before the election that Osborn might caucus with Democrats, but Osborn quickly rebuffed the suggestion, saying “I’m a true Independent, and I’ve made it clear that I do not intend to caucus with either party.”
Osborn is also using ActBlue, a prominent Democratic fundraising platform, to gather contributions for his Senate campaign. He plans to contrast his working-class background as a mechanic with incumbent Ricketts’ wealth, dubbing him “Wall Street Pete” in a campaign video. Ricketts’ campaign has already criticized Osborn for receiving significant donations from out-of-state Democratic donors and suggested Osborn, if elected, would likely caucus with Democrats.
Osborn kicked off his 2023 campaign with assistance from a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who developed a strategy for achieving “socialism in our lifetime,” as reported by the Washington Free Beacon. As the 2022 race drew near, Osborn set up Conservatives for Osborn as a “candidate authorized committee,” transferring $230,000 to fund TV ads in the final stretch.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/YouTube/ABC News)
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