An Omaha man has been arrested after authorities say he threatened to shoot Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen&#8217;s grandchildren and the Catholic school that they attend. 
Ean Halstead, 32, was arrested after allegedly posting a message on Columbus Catholic School’s website that read, “I’m going to shoot up this school and kill [Governor] Jim Pillen’s [grand]children with a few nuns for f*cking funsies.”
Pillen thanked the Nebraska State Patrol in a press conference for apprehending Halstead.
“We’re trying like heck to protect our babies. I mean, I got grandbabies that are going into fourth grade,&#8221; Pillen said. &#8220;So we’re doing anything we can to protect our kids.”
“It’s very disturbing when somebody does enough research to know where my babies are going to school, and did a threat to the school,” he added.
Investigators attempted to confront Halstead near his home on Friday, but he fled inside, barricaded himself, and remained there for about an hour, <a href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/affidavit-details-threats-made-by-omaha-man-toward-governors-family/">according</a> to Nebraska Public Media. Authorities later obtained an arrest warrant and took Halstead and his mother into custody. 
Prosecutors say Halstead hid his cellphone inside a guitar after wiping it and restoring it to factory settings. He also allegedly unplugged his internet router, according to <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-man-bond-nebraska-school-pillen-threats/73194387">KETV</a> News.
Investigators later determined the router had been used to access the Columbus Catholic School website. They also linked several email accounts to Halstead and the alleged online threat. 
Authorities further allege that Halstead made eight outbound phone calls to a contact in the governor&#8217;s office about seven minutes before the threat was posted online. 
Court records also sho Halstead was the subject of a protection order filed by a former boyfriend in 2022. The petition alleged that Halstead brandished a butcher knife, threatened to kill him and their dogs while they slept, and sent text messages describing fantasies about burning down the bedroom.   

Bond was <a href="https://corrections.dccorr.com/accepted?datanum=3765764&amp;lastname=halstead&amp;firstname=ean">set</a> for $1 million. Halstead is scheduled to appear in court on August 24. 
Nebraska prosecutors have charged him with making a terroristic threat and tampering with physical evidence.
&nbsp;

Screenshot 2026-07-21 at 3.14.00 PM

Man Threatens To Shoot Catholic School And Governor’s Grandchildren

Crime

governor

Nebraska

Editor&#8217;s Note: This story contains sexually explicit terminology and images.
The daughter of Democrat-backed Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborn, who was paid by her father for work on the campaign, is linked to an online pornography account that offers explicit videos, pictures, and even penis ratings to users willing to pay for them.
While previously identified in media reports as a &#8220;gothic dancer&#8221; and performer, new information obtained by The Daily Wire links Osborn&#8217;s daughter to an explicit online persona on Stripchat, an adult content platform where users pay for performers to carry out tasks using tokens worth about 10 cents each.
The profile — inactive for the past three years — operated under the name &#8220;Joanniemitchell&#8221; and features images of 23-year-old Georgia Osborn. It lists a detailed menu of sexually explicit acts, with prices climbing from 21 tokens for a simple tip titled &#8220;If u luv me&#8221; to 2,000 tokens for the request: &#8220;Buy my new lingerie.&#8221;
The Stripchat account&#8217;s public preview photos are directly available on Georgia Osborn’s public Instagram account. These include two bikini photos posted to her Instagram in October 2020. At that time, Georgia, who was born in April 2003, was only 17 years old. After The Daily Wire reached out to Dan and Georgia Osborn with inquiries about the accounts, the pictures were deleted from her account.
Dan Osborn, a union leader and registered independent, is running to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts in November with the backing of the Nebraska Democratic Party. The state&#8217;s Democratic Senate nominee, Cindy Burbank, dropped out of the race this week to clear a path for Osborn, who gained support with his pledge to fight corruption and inefficiency from both major parties.
Osborn&#8217;s political career has been marred by scandals regarding his online behavior. A self-professed Catholic, Osborn <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/us-politics/article-13899537/dan-osborn-nebraska-senate-race-marriage-family-life.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came under fire</a> during his 2024 Senate run when an email linked to his birthdate and address appeared in the 2015 breach of Ashley Madison, a dating site for people who want to have extramarital affairs.
<div id="attachment_1139221" style="width: 881px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1139221" class="size-large wp-image-1139221" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-5.31.30-PM-871x576.png" alt="" width="871" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-5.31.30-PM-871x576.png 871w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-5.31.30-PM-300x198.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-5.31.30-PM-768x508.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-5.31.30-PM.png 1416w" sizes=" (max-width: 871px) 100vw, 871px" />Screenshot of Stripchat account using images of Osborn</div>
While his campaign denies he ever used the site, it has offered no explanation as to why his email appears in the database, instead resorting to the excuse that it was a “shared corporate account” used by “multiple people.”
Osborn&#8217;s campaign used a similar excuse when his union-linked X account was found liking hardcore gay pornography and images of naked women between 2020 and 2021.
“Multiple people had access to this account,” a spokesman claimed. Yet, the screenshots reveal the account was clearly denoted as “Dan Osborn President BCTGM 50G.”
Osborn also faced criticism for <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-hopeful-deep-dem-ties-has-paid-family-over-350k-from-his-campaign-coffers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paying over $350,000</a> in campaign funds to family members from his campaign coffers, including a $4,200 payment to Georgia Osborn for &#8220;assistant services&#8221; in December 2024.
<div id="attachment_1139855" style="width: 490px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1139855" class="size-large wp-image-1139855" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-21-at-2.07.15-PM-480x576.png" alt="" width="480" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-21-at-2.07.15-PM-480x576.png 480w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-21-at-2.07.15-PM-250x300.png 250w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-21-at-2.07.15-PM-768x921.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-21-at-2.07.15-PM.png 1114w" sizes=" (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" />Georgia Osborn with Bernie Sanders (Instagram)</div>
Other services available for sale on the Stripchat profile include &#8220;Doggy position @ camera&#8221; for 90 tokens, &#8220;Flash boobs&#8221; for 120 tokens, and &#8220;Rub front of panties (1 min)&#8221; for 215 tokens. The price for a public rating of a user&#8217;s penis is listed at 101 tokens.
The account also offered “private shows” for 120 tokens, or $12, per minute.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1139815 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/joanniemitchell-screenshot.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="349" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/joanniemitchell-screenshot.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/joanniemitchell-screenshot-300x102.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/joanniemitchell-screenshot-768x262.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
The Osborn campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

GettyImages-2284664862

EXCLUSIVE: Dem-Backed Senate Candidate’s Daughter Linked To Online Sex Work

2026 Midterms

Dan Osborn

Pornography

A Democrat running for Congress in Nebraska is tied to a leftist organization that pushes for &#8220;universal sex education” and wants elementary school kids to learn about “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.” 
Denise Powell, running in the highly competitive race for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, has been a board member for <a href="https://educateusaction.org/">EducateUS</a>, an activist organization critical of parental rights that wants to push so-called “progressive” sex education into classrooms across the country, including for kindergartners. Powell’s <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisepowell402/details/volunteering-experiences/">LinkedIn</a> and candidate <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2025/10071667.pdf">disclosure</a> form lists her as a board member of the organization, which says it is for people who want to “dance at the revolution.”
While Powell’s LinkedIn lists her as a current board member and treasurer of EducateUS, the organization currently does not list her on its <a href="https://educateusaction.org/who-we-are/our-team/">list</a> of board members. Tax forms show Powell was the <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/872385932/202520489349301302/full">treasurer</a> of the organization for the fiscal year ending in September 2024. A different treasurer is listed on the next available tax form. The Daily Wire reached out to Powell and EducateUS for clarification. 
Powell is running against Republican candidate Brinker Harding in the race to succeed outgoing GOP Rep. Don Bacon. She does not mention sex education in her <a href="https://deniseforcongress.org/priorities/">platform</a> which focuses on attacking President Donald Trump and not being beholden to special interest groups. She does highlight her support for abortion and calls to codify Roe v. Wade. 
The sex ed standards <a href="https://educateusaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/national_sex_ed_standards_november2025.pdf">pushed</a> by EducateUS include ensuring that 5th graders learn about “gender identity and expression” and “the basics of sexual orientation” and teaching high schoolers about “abortion access,” how racism impacts their views of sexuality, and proper condom use. 
“If you care about LGBTQ+ liberation, about ending gender-based violence, child abuse, and white supremacy, if you want to dance at the revolution, the fight for sex ed is for you,” EducateUS <a href="https://educateusaction.org/">says</a> on its website. 
The group says that it believes “universal sex education” can “change the world” and wants a “complete transformation” of K-12 public sex education. It <a href="https://educateusaction.org/what-we-do/?_gl=1*uz11lp*_ga*MTYyMjg3NTc3OS4xNzgzNDMzNzM3*_ga_VNYN0WPYD3*czE3ODM0MzM3MzYkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODM0MzM3MzYkajYwJGwwJGgw">says</a> it is working with “anti-racist, feminist, and pro-LGBTQ liberation organizing forces” because “our causes are one and the same at the root.”
EducateUS advocates for “trans rights” and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/educateusaction/posts/">called</a> the recent Supreme Court decision allowing states to keep gender-confused boys out of girls sports a “devastating” decision. The group also claims that polling shows that Americans want “trans inclusive sex ed” and calls for boycotting companies that don’t implement DEI policies. 
The group accuses conservatives of trying to “undermine” sex education. 
“But right-wing extremist organizations are pouring money into a campaign to undermine public school sex education. These are the same people that are trying to erase Black history from the curriculum, banning books they don’t like, and targeting the rights of trans students,” the organization <a href="https://educateusaction.org/voterpledge/">says</a>. “They’re willing to throw an entire generation under the bus in order to consolidate their own power.”
The group offers <a href="https://educateusaction.org/for-candidates/">free training</a> for candidates who “supports sex education, LGBTQ+ student rights, and inclusive, affirming schools for all students” and who are being attacked as a “groomer or indoctrinator.” The consulting gives candidates guidance on topics like “opposing book bans,” “stopping ‘parental rights’ overreach,” and “bathroom access.”
National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon said the ties to EducateUS were troubling. 
&#8220;Democrat Denise Powell’s record of pushing radical sex conversations on Nebraska children is disgusting and disqualifying,” he told The Daily Wire. “Dark-Money Denise continues to prove that she is out of touch with Nebraska values.” 
Powell’s candidate disclosure also <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2025/10071667.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">revealed</a> that she has done consultant work for leftist dark money groups like the 1630 Fund and the New Venture Fund.

Nebraska Congressional Election

Dem Candidate Tied To Revolutionary Org That Pushes Sex Ed On Kindergarteners

Democrats

LGBTQ

U.S. Politics

Over a dozen Americans arrived in Nebraska on Monday morning for monitoring after being trapped on board a cruise ship during a hantavirus scare. 
The State Department airlifted 17 American citizens from the Dutch ship M.V. Hondius after their vacation was disrupted by fears of the Andes strain of the hantavirus. The Department of Health and Human Services said that one passenger had tested positive for the virus while another showed mild symptoms.
HHS <a href="https://x.com/HHSGov/status/2053656580118216985">said</a> Sunday that “two of the passengers traveling in the plane&#8217;s biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution. One passenger currently has mild symptoms and another passenger tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus.”
The passengers were transported to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. The passengers are expected to be quarantined for 42 days while they undergo testing. 
“Upon arrival at each facility, each individual will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition,” HHS said. 
The person who tested positive for the virus had no symptoms, according to Nebraska Medicine. 
“The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms,” Nebraska Medicine said. “They were managed separately from other passengers during transport using appropriate biocontainment measures. They will be monitored in the Biocontainment Unit out of an abundance of caution and follow-up testing will be performed.”
During an update on Monday, health officals from HHS and Nebraska Medicine reiterated that there is a &#8220;very low&#8221; risk to the public from the virus and explained more about what it meant that one of the passengers tested &#8220;mildly positive&#8221; for the virus.
Centers for Disease Control official Brendan Jackson said that testing positive for the virus was a &#8220;range&#8221; and that there had been a positive and negative test.
&#8220;There&#8217;s sort of a range,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We want to just want to make sure there&#8217;s further testing to evaluate that at this point more.&#8221;
The arrival of the passengers in Nebraska comes after days of uncertainty aboard the ship, which had effectively been stranded at sea while governments and health agencies coordinated where passengers could safely disembark and quarantine.
The passengers are being monitored for symptoms like fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and general malaise.
The ship <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hantavirus-stricken-cruise-ship-docks-in-canary-islands-whats-next-for-passengers">docked</a> in the Canary Islands on Sunday and Spanish health officials said that evacuation efforts were “proceeding normally” as passengers were escorted off the vessel in small groups under strict biosecurity measures. Travelers wore face masks and protective coverings while hazmat-suited crews transported them directly to quarantine flights waiting at Tenerife Airport.
At least nine confirmed or suspected cases have now <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON600">been linked</a> to the outbreak, including three fatalities. Officials believe the outbreak likely began after an elderly Dutch couple contracted the virus during travel in Argentina before boarding the cruise ship. The husband later died aboard the vessel, while his wife became seriously ill after leaving the ship and died in South Africa. Another passenger, a German national, also died after developing symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Controls said last week that “the risk to the American public remains extremely low.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-SPAIN-HEALTH-HANTAVIRUS-ILLNESS-TOURISM

Hantavirus Outbreak Linked To Cruise Ship Is Officially In The United States

Department of Health and Human Services

Virus

U.S. authorities arrested a Chinese national at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City earlier this month who is accused of traveling to Nebraska and taking pictures of military aircraft near Offutt Air Force Base.
Tianrui Liang also allegedly planned to travel to Oklahoma to photograph more military aircraft at Tinker Air Force Base, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/chinese-national-arrested-jfk-after-allegedly-photographing-us-military-aircraft-nebraska-base?lid=zeskeho3ui7f">reported</a>. The 21-year-old Chinese national is charged with violating U.S. law prohibiting people from photographing or sketching defense installations, according to court documents.
Authorities were first alerted to suspicious activity near Offutt Air Force Base after a person witnessed &#8220;a male holding a camera with a telescopic lens&#8221; near the military installation, according to an FBI affidavit.
Offutt Air Force Base is one of the most sensitive military installations in the United States and is the home of U.S. Strategic Command, which is <a href="https://www.stratcom.mil/About/#:~:text=Air%20Force%20Global%20Strike%20Command,United%20States%20and%20Combatant%20Commanders.">responsible</a> for nuclear defense and global strike operations. The base also hosts some of the U.S. military&#8217;s most powerful reconnaissance aircraft, including the E-4B &#8220;Nightwatch,&#8221; or &#8220;doomsday plane,&#8221; which is designed for military leaders or the president to use in the case of a nuclear war.
Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City is home to the Air Force Sustainment Center, which focuses on maintaining the Air Force&#8217;s &#8220;Weapons System Readiness.&#8221;
Liang was charged in Nebraska on April 3 and was arrested at JFK International Airport four days later. Liang was taken into custody just before he boarded a plane for Frankfurt, Germany, after which he planned to fly to Glasgow, Scotland, according to court documents. The Chinese national was in the United States on a non-immigrant B1/B2 visa, which authorizes temporary travel to America for foreign tourists or people on business trips or visiting family.
Liang told authorities at the airport that he had been previously questioned by law enforcement over the allegations, according to court documents.
Multiple Chinese nationals have been arrested in recent years for taking pictures near U.S. military bases. In August 2023, five Chinese nationals who were former students at the University of Michigan were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-chinese-nationals-accused-of-photographing-michigan-military-facility">caught</a> taking pictures of military equipment during joint training exercises between the National Guard and the Taiwanese military at Camp Grayling in northern Michigan, according to authorities.
Last December, a Chinese national was arrested for taking videos of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. He also took numerous photos of military equipment and the base&#8217;s perimeter fencing, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/chinese-national-charged-unlawfully-photographing-air-force-base-and-vital-military">according</a> to the Justice Department.

Chinese man photography

A Chinese Man Was Just Caught Photographing The U.S. Military’s ‘Doomsday’ Plane

China

Communist China

Espionage

Oklahoma

U.S.

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Military

Police in Omaha, Nebraska, shot and killed a woman who slashed the face of a 3-year-old boy during a kidnapping attempt at Walmart on Tuesday, authorities said.
The attacker, who authorities have not identified, was confronted by police just outside of the Walmart as she was holding a knife to the young child, who was sitting in a shopping cart, Omaha Police Deputy Chief Scott Gray said. The woman refused verbal commands from the officers and then slashed the 3-year-old boy across the face before at least one officer opened fire and killed her.
The toddler was taken to the hospital after suffering &#8220;a rather large laceration across the left side of the face,&#8221; according to the deputy police chief. Authorities believe the young boy will survive. No one else was injured in the kidnapping attempt or the shooting.
&#8220;The officers gave the suspect commands,&#8221; Gray said. &#8220;There is video that shows the suspect swiping the knife at the child, cutting him across the face.&#8221;
Police said the child&#8217;s &#8220;caretaker&#8221; was shopping at Walmart with the toddler seated in a shopping cart when she was confronted by the suspect, who was armed with a large knife, which investigators believe she stole from the store, ABC&#8217;s Omaha affiliate KETV <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-walmart-shooting-officers-kill-woman-kidnapping/71015802">reported</a>. The perpetrator then allegedly snatched the child from the caretaker, &#8220;essentially kidnapping the child,&#8221; and ordered the caretaker to walk in front of the shopping cart as they exited the store. The woman held a knife up to the child as they walked.
After walking out of the store, the two women had a verbal &#8220;back and forth&#8221; before police arrived on the scene at around 9:20 a.m. local time, Gray said. Authorities do not believe that the attacker and the caretaker knew each other, adding that it remains unclear why the perpetrator targeted the woman and the young boy. It is also not known whether the caretaker was the child&#8217;s mother or someone else.

Walmart/Police

Every Parent’s Nightmare Inside Walmart Ends With A Split-Second Decision

kidnapping

Police

Walmart

<div>A new digital ad in the Nebraska Senate race is bringing revelations from the Epstein files to the campaign trail.</div>
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) released an ad pointing out Independent Dan Osborn’s canceled fundraiser with high-level Democratic strategist Dana Chasin, whose name was referenced in an email in the files for allegedly moving children on a plane for Jeffrey Epstein. Chasin has strongly denied any allegations, according to Politico.
&#8220;Even after that information was public, Osborn continued to raise money with Chasin until he got caught,” the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UFJFn0Te1Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ad</a> states.
Although the fundraiser was scrapped, the ActBlue link to donate with Chasin’s name on it as part of the host committee was still up until Monday morning. After The Daily Wire reached out to the Osborn campaign about the active <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/021026dc?refcode=invite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ActBlue link</a> with Chasin’s name mentioned, it was taken down.
<div id="attachment_1048505" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1048505" class="size-medium wp-image-1048505" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/IMG_1928-300x298.jpg" alt="A screenshot of the ActBlue link for Dan Osborn's cancelled fundraiser with Dana Chasin as of Monday morning." width="300" height="298" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/IMG_1928-300x298.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/IMG_1928-579x576.jpg 579w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/IMG_1928-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/IMG_1928-768x764.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/IMG_1928.jpg 1393w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />A screenshot of the ActBlue link for Dan Osborn&#8217;s canceled fundraiser with Dana Chasin as of Monday morning.</div>
Chasin, who’s part of the Rockefeller family, told <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/10/congress/dan-osborn-dana-chasin-fundraiser-00775138" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> that he’s “never owned or rented a prop plane, or any plane for that matter.”
“I stand with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and their pursuit of justice and accountability,” he added.
The Osborn campaign said on background that the claims made against the candidate in the ad are “categorically false,” and underscored that the fundraiser was canceled after they were made aware of Chasin’s alleged Epstein ties.
In terms of donations, the campaign said that Chasin did not donate to Osborn&#8217;s 2026 race and that the campaign gave $3,300 to an anti-human trafficking charity to serve as an equal counteraction to Chasin’s 2024 donation.
“Pete Ricketts is a member of the Epstein Class, and has spent his time in the Senate doing everything he can to protect them, including voting against the release of the Epstein files,” an Osborn spokesperson said in a statement. The Epstein Files Transparency Act passed the Senate with unanimous consent in November, but many Senate Republicans received pushback in September for scrapping a Democrat-backed amendment to a defense bill that would have triggered the release of the files, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/schumer-epstein-senate-vote-rcna230389" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
“Dan Osborn was notified that an attendee of an event was cited in the files and immediately upon knowing, canceled the event,” the spokesperson continued. “Pete Ricketts is lying because he’s scared of Dan Osborn, and the working people’s movement to take down the Epstein class.”
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the Senate race as “Solid Republican.” Osborn ran against Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) in the 2024 election, garnering 46.5% of the vote compared with just over 53% for the Republican.
“Dan Osborn built his brand on moral outrage over Epstein. But when a wealthy Democrat donor named in the Epstein files offered to host a fundraiser, that outrage disappeared fast. Fake Dan Osborn chose campaign cash over the values he pretends to stand for,&#8221; Will Coup, Ricketts for Senate communications director, said in a statement to The Daily Wire.
The ad serves as another example of how the release of the Epstein files has created a global political shakeup, including the arrests of former Prince Andrew and former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson in the United Kingdom.

Dan Osborn Nebraska Senate Candidate

Epstein Accusations Against Dem Strategist Trigger Campaign Chaos

Congress

Elections

Epstein Files

Jeffrey Epstein

Pete Ricketts

Politics

U.S. Senate

It’s <a href="https://schoolchoiceweek.com/">National School Choice Week</a> in America, and the advancement of education freedom is sweeping the country.
Governors are opting-in their states to the new federal tax credit scholarship at rapid rates. The scholarship allows taxpayers to contribute up to $1,700 per year to a qualified non-profit scholarship-granting organization and receive a nonrefundable dollar-for-dollar tax credit. Organizations like <a href="https://www.acescholarships.org/">ACE Scholarships</a> award scholarships to K-12 students. Federal tax credit scholarships can be used for a variety of educational expenses, including tuition, fees, books, tutoring, transportation, and services for students with special needs.
The landmark legislation was fittingly <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2025/07/09/how-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-will-help-kids-escape-failing-government-schools/">signed</a> into law on Independence Day last year by President Donald Trump as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Already, nineteen states are set to participate in the federal tax credit scholarship, and more are on the way.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen took the lead in late September, signing an executive order communicating the intention for Nebraska to participate in the program.
Governor Pillen <a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/surrounded-students-gov-pillen-signs-order-opting-federal-scholarship-tax-credit#:~:text=by%20Students%2C%20Gov.-,Pillen%20Signs%20Order%20Opting%20into%20Federal%20Scholarship%20Tax%20Credit,choice%20opportunities%20beginning%20in%202027.">explained</a>, “This program is a game-changer for Nebraska students and their families, generating funds that will help send students to the school of their choice.” Continuing, he <a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/surrounded-students-gov-pillen-signs-order-opting-federal-scholarship-tax-credit#:~:text=by%20Students%2C%20Gov.-,Pillen%20Signs%20Order%20Opting%20into%20Federal%20Scholarship%20Tax%20Credit,choice%20opportunities%20beginning%20in%202027.">said</a>, “When it comes to educating our kids, we need to ensure that every student is in an environment that allows them to succeed. This program provides that opportunity, and I’m pleased to say that Nebraska will take part.”
Going a step further to communicate his full and enthusiastic support, Governor Pillen <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/29/nebraska-gets-a-private-school-tax-credit-thanks-to-trump/">declared</a>, “I am not opting this in … I am cannonballing it into the state of Nebraska.”
Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee, a strong school choice proponent, followed. South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden announced opt-in plans by mid-November, <a href="https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&amp;sys_id=d8db85984799b290a497127ba26d43a7#:~:text=Article%20Body,take%20advantage%20of%20the%20program.">stating</a>, “Our students are the future of our state, and we must equip them with the skills and resources they need to thrive. Parents should have the freedom to choose the learning environment that sets their kids up for success.” Additionally, Governor Rhoden <a href="https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&amp;sys_id=d8db85984799b290a497127ba26d43a7#:~:text=Article%20Body,take%20advantage%20of%20the%20program.">noted</a>, “My goal as Governor is to support innovation — not stand in the way. So, we will continue to champion policies that expand the freedom to learn for our students.”
<div id="attachment_1033419" style="width: 826px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033419" class="size-large wp-image-1033419" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-816x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) attends the executive order signing ceremony to reduce the size and scope of the Education Department in the East Room of the White House on March 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. The order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon, former head of the Small Business Administration and co-founder of the World Wrestling Entertainment, to shrink the $100 billion department, which cannot be dissolved without Congressional approval. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)" width="816" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-816x576.jpg 816w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-300x212.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099-768x542.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2206101099.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" />Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</div>
In December, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the first Democratic governor to declare his intention to opt his state into the federal tax credit scholarship, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorado-jared-polis-school-choice-opt-in-tax-credit-70684840?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqd6Gye1vD2r7iUve5VEV6nzbD8u4mqRJLNak6f2V_Ylx0BjOxObBbVmsCc2AwQ%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6976b435&amp;gaa_sig=VbmoDJ1phVmO6EUWJXlAZUmF_eRQMR6-1pQ0SHu8_PMWR2HoDzDg868wS9sO71EZTxDbbDLyUi94rz6lm37Btg%3D%3D">said</a>, “I would be crazy not to.” A spokesman for Governor Polis <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorado-jared-polis-school-choice-opt-in-tax-credit-70684840?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqd6Gye1vD2r7iUve5VEV6nzbD8u4mqRJLNak6f2V_Ylx0BjOxObBbVmsCc2AwQ%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6976b435&amp;gaa_sig=VbmoDJ1phVmO6EUWJXlAZUmF_eRQMR6-1pQ0SHu8_PMWR2HoDzDg868wS9sO71EZTxDbbDLyUi94rz6lm37Btg%3D%3D">explained</a> that the tax credit creates an “immense opportunity for Coloradans to support students in our state, but only if we opt in.”
That’s a key point because taxpayers nationwide can contribute up to $1,700 annually to a scholarship-granting organization, but scholarships can only be awarded to students in states that have opted in by the governor or a designee. Individuals residing in states that aren’t opted in may still contribute to a scholarship-granting organization in another state and receive the dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $1,700. For this point alone, all governors nationwide — regardless of political party — should opt in so that students in their state benefit from the contributions of residents of their state. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorado-jared-polis-school-choice-opt-in-tax-credit-70684840?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqd6Gye1vD2r7iUve5VEV6nzbD8u4mqRJLNak6f2V_Ylx0BjOxObBbVmsCc2AwQ%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6976b435&amp;gaa_sig=VbmoDJ1phVmO6EUWJXlAZUmF_eRQMR6-1pQ0SHu8_PMWR2HoDzDg868wS9sO71EZTxDbbDLyUi94rz6lm37Btg%3D%3D">Governor Polis</a> is right — Governors “would be crazy not to.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was the next to declare intention to participate. Governor Abbott has worked relentlessly to advance school choice in the Lone Star State. After calling <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/06/04/opinion-greg-abbott-went-to-war-with-texas-rinos-over-school-choice-he-appears-to-have-won-dr-keri-d-ingraham/?eer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple special legislative sessions</a> in 2023 and then in 2024, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/06/04/opinion-greg-abbott-went-to-war-with-texas-rinos-over-school-choice-he-appears-to-have-won-dr-keri-d-ingraham/?eer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voters ousted</a> several Texas House of Representatives members who had voted against school choice, Governor Abbott <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-signs-landmark-school-choice-legislation-into-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> universal school choice into law in 2025.
By mid-December, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry joined the early round of governors to opt in to the federal tax credit scholarship. In Governor Landry’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/govjefflandry/p/DSYUHfvjxu1/?hl=af">words</a>, it “is yet another way we’re expanding opportunity and helping every child reach their full potential.”
But when January hit, the floodgates opened with governors opting their states in one right after another. First with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, followed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Idaho Governor Brad Little, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Indiana Governor Mike Braun, and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo.
This week, during National School Choice Week, it’s anticipated that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a leader when it comes to education freedom for families, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt will make announcements.
Not to be left out, look for the remaining Republican governors to add their states. They include New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Vermont Governor Phil Scott, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.
Additionally, there are 22 remaining Democratic Governors yet to opt in who would be wise to allow students in their states to benefit from scholarships funded by taxpayer contributions, recognizing that participating costs the states nothing. The typical claim that school choice takes money from public schools falls not only flat but is entirely false, as it’s a federal tax credit.
With the federal tax credit scholarship opt-ins combined with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-free-or-die-state-becomes-first-universal-school-choice-state-in-the-northeast">seventeen states</a> — West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming, Texas, Indiana, and New Hampshire — enacting universal school choice over the past five years, education freedom is advancing across America.
It’s picking up speed and not poised to slow any time soon — all to the benefit of families, freedom, and the future of our nation.
* * *
Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Children are waiting the school bus on a snow day in the morning in Lexington, Massachusetts on January 24, 2023

Why Governors Are Opting-In To School Choice At Record Speed

Why Governors Are Opting In To School Choice At Record Speed

Charter Schools

Colorado

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Tennessee

Texas

The campaign team for U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn, which refers to him as a “lifelong Independent” as he challenges incumbent Nebraska Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts in 2026, has launched a group called “Conservatives for Osborn.”
That’s curious, since Brandon Philipczyk and James Vihstadt, the treasurers of the Osborn campaign and also &#8220;Conservatives for Osborn,&#8221; have strong ties to the Democratic Party.
Philipczyk “served as director of operations in Nevada for the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016 and national coordinated operations director for the Democratic National Committee until 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile,” The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/elections/veteran-dem-operatives-behind-conservative-group-supporting-nebraska-independent-dan-osborn/">reported</a>, adding that he also worked on Mike Bloomberg’s Democratic presidential primary campaign in 2020. “Vihstadt is a delegate for the Nebraska Democratic Party and has donated exclusively to Democratic political candidates over the years,” the Beacon noted.
Osborn narrowly lost his race against incumbent Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) in 2024, but during the campaign, the Senate Majority PAC, run by then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), gave $3.8 million to the PAC Retire Career Politicians, which supported Osborn. “Nearly $30 million, that’s the amount of money out-of-state Democrats spent trying to buy a Nebraska Senate seat,” Fischer <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/05/red-scare-incumbent-fischer-survives-osborn-in-nebraska-u-s-senate-race/">stated</a>. “It did not happen. … They wasted their money.”
“Osborn launched his campaign in 2023 with the help of a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who authored a blueprint on how to achieve ‘socialism in our lifetime,’” the Washington Free Beacon noted.
In September 2024, Osborn <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/3157103/nebraska-independent-dan-osborn-praises-bernie-sanders/">gushed</a> over hard-Left Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), saying, “I love Bernie. But the bottom line is we do have to peel off some conservatives.” Then-GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “Dan is a ‘Bernie Sanders Democrat’ who does not stand for Nebraska Values, and never will.” Arkansas GOP Sen. Tom Cotton said Osborn “supports socialist Bernie Sanders but pretends to be non-partisan. A total fraud.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> is right. <a href="https://twitter.com/DebforNebraska?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DebforNebraska</a> is a strong conservative who fights for secure borders and to stop the Biden-Harris inflation. 
Her opponent supports socialist Bernie Sanders but pretends to be non-partisan. A total fraud. 
Support Deb here: <a href="https://t.co/wbtahofbhs">https://t.co/wbtahofbhs</a> <a href="https://t.co/7ci5pWkAzb">https://t.co/7ci5pWkAzb</a>
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCottonAR/status/1833588954832212232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Dan Osborn is a Bernie Sanders Democrat who apparently can&#8217;t take no for an answer,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez <a href="https://nebraska.tv/news/local-politics/nrsc-launches-digital-ad-targeting-dan-osborns-senate-campaign">declared</a>. “Nebraskans rejected Democrat Dan after Chuck Schumer and national Democrats spent millions to prop up his fake &#8216;independent&#8217; campaign and they&#8217;ll do it again in 2026.”
The NRSC recently released an ad highlighting Osborn&#8217;s admiration for Bernie Sanders and inappropriate internet activity:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Maybe Chuck Schumer should&#39;ve checked Democrat Dan Osborn&#39;s search history before recruiting him to run as an &quot;independent&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Nr8z2eykjx">pic.twitter.com/Nr8z2eykjx</a>
&mdash; Senate Republicans (@NRSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NRSC/status/1942589276656488706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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‘Independent’ Nebraska Senate Hopeful Courts Conservatives, But His Democrat Ties Raise Red Flags

Bernie Sanders

Independent

ICE busted more than 100 illegal alien workers in a workplace raid at a Nebraska meat packing plant, drawing ire from protesters who pelted federal vehicles with rocks.
The federal law enforcement agency carried out the largest raid in the state since President Donald Trump took office at Omaha’s Glenn Valley Foods on Tuesday.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and federal law enforcement partners, executed a federal search warrant at Glenn Valley Foods, today, based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the large-scale employment of aliens without authorization to work in the United States,” <a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/ice-raids-hit-omaha-meatpacking-plants/">ICE said</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EXCLUSIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EXCLUSIVE</a> ICE conducts largest workplace enforcement operation in Nebraska since President Trump took office—More than 100 illegal immigrants were working illegally at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha—They were either using fake documents or fraudulently using the… <a href="https://t.co/obD6tIQGI8">pic.twitter.com/obD6tIQGI8</a>
&mdash; Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AliBradleyTV/status/1932515745478459519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“The worksite enforcement operation is likely the largest to take place in Nebraska since the start of the current presidential administration, which has prioritized immigration enforcement efforts and strengthened focus on border security. The investigation is ongoing,” the federal law enforcement agency went on to say.
Left-wing protesters gathered at the packing plant as federal agents made the arrests, with some agitators even <a href="https://youtu.be/LbiaAs55tQU?si=VNSSwIaheIitJqCM">throwing rocks</a> at law enforcement vehicles and attempting to prevent them from leaving, <a href="https://youtu.be/KDtY5cW_mr4?si=3iHh3Z0ejtkLmNgU">blocking the street</a> and jumping on top of the cars.
One legal worker at the meat packing plant <a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/ice-raids-hit-omaha-meatpacking-plants/">told</a> local media that many of those arrested by federal authorities are from Guatemala and the Mexican state of Guerrero, located to the south of Mexico City.
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The company’s CEO said that he attempted to authenticate the legal status of his employees through the E-Verify system, with a report <a href="https://x.com/AliBradleyTV/status/1932515745478459519">indicating</a> that the illegal aliens used fake documents or stole the identities of American citizens.
The Trump administration has cracked down on the employment of illegal aliens across the country. ICE <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-captures-over-three-dozen-illegal-aliens-in-workplace-raid">arrested</a> more than three dozen illegal aliens at a roofing company in Washington state near the Canadian border. An ICE spokesman said that the illegal aliens at the company “fraudulently represented their immigration status and submitted fraudulent documents.”
The federal agency carried out an enforcement operation at a bakery in southern Texas near the border in February, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-and-homeland-security-busts-8-illegal-aliens-and-the-business-owners-they-say-harbored-them">arresting</a> eight illegal aliens and the two business owners, who federal agents say knowingly harbored and employed the illegal aliens.
The administration announced in April that it had arrested <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-ice-arrests-1000-illegal-workers-pushes-for-fines-on-businesses-using-illegal-labor">1,000 illegal workers</a> across the nation and proposed roughly $1 million in fines against businesses that employed illegal aliens. Homeland Security Investigations noted that it had subpoenaed the records of approximately 1,200 businesses as part of the agency’s sweeping investigation into illegal labor.

HSI Agent

ICE Conducts Massive Workplace Raid In Nebraska, Detains 100 Illegal Aliens

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Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nebraska</a> Governor Jim Pillen (R) is recovering after sustaining serious but non-life-threatening injuries in a horseback riding accident.
Pillen was transported to Nebraska Medicine on Sunday afternoon after the accident, which happened while he was riding with his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, his office said in a statement.
&#8220;The Governor’s injuries included minor lacerations to his spleen and kidney, seven broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung resulting from the rib damage, and a minor fracture in one of his vertebrae,&#8221; his office said. &#8220;There were no injuries to his neck, head, nervous system or additional internal organs.&#8221;
The governor’s team of doctors recommended he undergo a coil embolization to stop bleeding in his spleen, his office said. They described the procedure as &#8220;minimally invasive.&#8221;
&#8220;The procedure was a success, and the Governor caught the second half of the Nebraska men’s basketball win over Murray State in his recovery room, while chatting and joking with his family and team,&#8221; his office said on Monday. &#8220;In summary, the Governor’s injuries were serious but not life-threatening and could have been much worse.&#8221;
During the procedure, Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly briefly acted as Governor.
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Pillen&#8217;s office said that although he is in stable condition, he will remain in the hospital for several more days for observation. They said he will be able to conduct his work as governor from inside the hospital room.
&#8220;Gov. Pillen, First Lady Suzanne and their family are enormously grateful to the teams at Nebraska Medicine, Columbus Community Hospital, and the EMS professionals who transported him after the accident,&#8221; the statement concluded. &#8220;The Governor looks forward to returning to his office soon after Christmas and wishes a blessed and safe holiday to all Nebraskans.&#8221;

2024 Republican National Convention TW

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen Sustains Serious Injuries In Horseback Riding Accident

Animals

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Control of the Senate is on the ballot today, and while Republicans have a straightforward path to flipping the upper chamber, Democrats need to pull off some upsets to maintain control.
Fifty-one senators, including four independents, are in the Democratic caucus in the Senate, compared to 49 Republicans. That breakdown will likely change as numerous Senate races are decided on Tuesday night, and possibly in the days after.
Here are 10 races to watch.
<h4>Arizona — Open Seat</h4>
After Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced earlier this year that she was retiring from the Senate, the race for her seat was blown wide open. While Sinema became an independent in 2022, she still caucuses with the Democrats, meaning her seat would be a big flip for Republicans if they can win on Tuesday.
Republican candidate Kari Lake, who lost the gubernatorial election in 2022, is currently trailing in the polls against Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego. Gallego enjoyed a nearly eight-point lead in the <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/arizona/lake-vs-gallego" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolitics</a> polling average in early October, but Lake has cut into that lead, trailing by less than 3 points as of Tuesday afternoon.
Much of the Arizona Senate race has centered on the border crisis, as Lake has hammered Gallego over his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-arizona-senate-candidate-supported-amnesty-flip-flopped-on-illegal-aliens-voting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support for amnesty</a> and his vote against House Joint Resolution 24, which sought to prevent illegal immigrants from voting in local elections in Washington, D.C.
Cook Political Report rates the race as <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lean Democrat</a>.
<h4>Maryland — Open Seat</h4>
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is hoping to give the GOP a Senate seat in one of the most unlikely of states as he faces off against Democrat Angela Alsobrooks. Hogan was a popular governor in the blue state, winning two terms as a Republican. He has campaigned as a moderate willing to reach across the aisle, focusing on addressing economic issues and taxes.
Alsobrooks, a former county executive for Prince George County, Maryland, is pushing for pro-abortion policies and a ban on so-called assault weapons, claiming that &#8220;gun violence is the number one killer of children in America.&#8221; The Democrat leads Hogan in almost every recent <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/maryland/hogan-vs-alsobrooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a>, and Cook Political Report rates the race as likely Democrat. But if Republicans have a strong night on Tuesday, it could be evidenced by how well Hogan performs in deep-blue Maryland.
<h4>Michigan — Open Seat</h4>
Similar to Arizona, Michigan&#8217;s 2024 Senate race will decide who will replace a retiring senator — in this case, 74-year-old Democrat Debbie Stabenow. Both of Michigan&#8217;s Senate seats have been controlled by Democrats since Republican Spencer Abraham lost his re-election bid to Stabenow in 2000. The party&#8217;s nearly-25 years of controlling Michigan&#8217;s Senate seats, however, is up for grabs as Republican Mike Rogers is running in a tight race against Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
Slotkin was the clear favorite to win the race early on, but Rogers has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mi-republican-senate-candidate-gains-ground-on-dem-opponent-new-polls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut into</a> the Democrat&#8217;s lead in the polls. Both Slotkin and Rogers have focused heavily on the economy, with Rogers accusing Slotkin of supporting a controversial Chinese-owned electric vehicle plant being built in Big Rapids, Michigan. Slotkin, meanwhile, has attempted to tie Rogers to Big Pharma and has touted her support of abortion.
Slotkin currently leads in the RealClearPolitics average by 2.3 points, and Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.
<h4>Montana — Democrat Seat</h4>
Longtime Democrat Sen. Jon Tester is in an uphill battle to keep his Senate seat, which he&#8217;s held since 2007. Republican candidate Tim Sheehy, a retired Navy SEAL, is challenging Tester, focusing on the border crisis that has exploded under the Biden-Harris administration.
Montana represents one of the Republican Party&#8217;s best chances to flip a seat in the Senate with Cook Political Report rating the race lean Republican. Tester winning re-election could be vital to the Democratic Party&#8217;s narrow path to keeping control of the Senate. Polling on the Montana race has shown Sheehy leading Tester by nearly 8 points on average, according to <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/montana/sheehy-vs-tester" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolitics</a>.
<h4>Nebraska — Republican Seat</h4>
Republican Sen. Deb Fischer is running for re-election against independent candidate Dan Osborn, a Navy veteran. Fischer has served in the Senate since 2013 and has won each of her elections by wide margins. But polling from this year&#8217;s race shows a much closer contest than what Fischer is used to.
Osborn reportedly asked the Democratic Party to keep a candidate off the ballot to form a coalition behind him, but then said he would <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/15/dan-osborn-spurns-democrats-other-parties-whose-help-he-sought-in-senate-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not accept</a> the Democratic Party&#8217;s endorsement following the primaries. While an Osborn upset in Nebraska wouldn&#8217;t help push the Democrats closer to a majority, it could potentially hurt the GOP&#8217;s numbers and its path to taking control of the Senate.
Fischer leads in the polls by just over 2 points, according to FiveThirtyEight&#8217;s average. Cook Political Report rates the race as lean Republican.
<h4>Nevada — Democrat Seat</h4>
Nevada Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen is in a close race against Republican Sam Brown in what would be a huge pick-up for Republicans if Brown can pull off the upset. Rosen won her first term as senator in the 2018 election after serving as a congresswoman from Nevada&#8217;s 3rd District for one term.
Brown, a U.S. Army veteran who was wounded while serving in Afghanistan in 2008, a political outsider is hoping to burst onto the scene with a victory over Rosen. An upset for Brown seemed far from reach just two months ago when Rosen led in the <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/nevada/brown-vs-rosen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCP average</a> by 10 points, but Brown has chipped away at the Democrat&#8217;s lead, now trailing by just four points. In one recent poll, Brown was tied with Rosen, and in another, he was leading by 1 point.
Cook Political Report rates the race as lean Democrat.
<h4>Ohio — Democrat Seat</h4>
In what Cook Political Report is rating as another toss-up race, Democrat Sherrod Brown has been <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/ohio/brown-vs-moreno" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing ground</a> in the polls against Republican Bernie Moreno. Brown, who has been in office since 2007, has attempted to present himself as a moderate, especially on energy, vowing that he “will not turn my back on Ohio’s rural electric co-ops, Ohio energy workers, and Ohio families whose energy bills are already too high.” In September, however, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-dem-senator-to-hold-event-with-group-pushing-to-close-states-largest-coal-plant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">participated in a campaign event</a> alongside a radical environmentalist group pushing to close the state’s largest coal plant.
Moreno, a Colombian-born businessman, supports stronger border security and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-moreno-touts-historically-powerful-trump-endorsement-after-ohio-primary-win-previews-day-1-agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that &#8220;energy dominance&#8221; will be one of his top issues if he is elected. Moreno has also pushed to abolish the Department of Education, arguing that it has a &#8220;stranglehold on our kids.&#8221;
Moreno leads by just 1.7 points in the RealClearPolitics average.
<h4>Pennsylvania — Democrat Seat</h4>
In Pennsylvania, Democrat Sen. Bob Casey is running for his fourth term against Republican businessman Dave McCormick. The battleground state Senate race is another chance for Republicans to steal a seat from the Democrats. McCormick has recently surged in the polls, saying that Pennsylvanians “can see now it’s between a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian, an outsider, a business guy, someone who went to West Point and served in combat, versus a guy who’s been in elected office for 30 years and has been weak in a 99% vote for these liberal policies.&#8221;
In recent weeks, Casey has attempted to tie himself to former President Donald Trump, dropping a campaign that says “Casey bucked Biden to protect fracking and he sided with Trump to end NAFTA and put tariffs on China to stop them from cheating.”
Casey leads McCormick by <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/pennsylvania/mccormick-vs-casey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.8 points</a> in the RCP average of polls, and Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.
<h4>Texas — Republican Seat</h4>
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is seeking to fend off an upset bid from Democrat Rep. Colin Allred and keep the Texas Senate seat in the GOP&#8217;s hands. Allred, a former NFL linebacker, has gone along with the Biden-Harris agenda <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/colin-allred/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100%</a> of the time. During a recent debate, Cruz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ted-cruz-blasts-his-dem-opponents-radical-and-extreme-record-during-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Allred&#8217;s &#8220;radical and extreme&#8221; record, pointing out that the Democrat voted in favor of the leftist “Equality Act,” a bill that prohibited discrimination based on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.”
For Democrats to maintain control of the Senate, they would likely have to pull off a win in Montana or a major upset over Cruz in Texas. Cook Political Report rates the Cruz-Allred race as lean Republican.
<h4>Wisconsin — Democrat Seat</h4>
The fourth and final Senate toss-up race, according to Cook Political Report, is the Wisconsin contest between incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin and Republican Eric Hovde. Baldwin, a senator since 2013, has seen the <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/wisconsin/hovde-vs-baldwin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polls</a> grow closer in recent weeks. Hovde, like many Republicans, is focused on immigration and the economy and is hoping to ride some momentum from Trump, who has been focusing on the battleground state.
Baldwin leads Hovde by just 1.8 points, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
<a href="https://election.dailywire.com/?_gl=1*1ekafg9*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDY4ODI4NC44NC4xLjE3MzA2OTQwMDYuNTkuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE&#8217;S ELECTION HUB FOR SENATE FORECASTS AND POLLING</a>

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