Republican Sen. Deb Fischer will win reelection in Nebraska’s Senate race, CNN projects

Republican Sen. Deb Fischer will win reelection in Nebraska, defeating an unexpectedly strong challenge from independent Dan Osborn, CNN projects.

Republican Sen. Deb Fischer will win reelection in Nebraska, defeating an unexpectedly strong challenge from independent Dan Osborn, CNN projects. Fischer was first elected to the Senate in 2012, when she became the first female senator elected to a full term in Nebraska. Prior to being elected to Congress, she served in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature. Osborn, a Navy veteran and industrial mechanic, gave a tougher-than-expected challenge to Fischer. Osborn and his allies outspent Republicans and garnered attention with buzzy ads, including one in which he burned the word “LIE” into a TV to knock attack ads from his opponent. In another spot, he called Fischer and her colleagues in the US Senate “a bunch of millionaires controlled by billionaires.” He frequently labeled Fischer a “career politician” and criticized her for backtracking on her promise to run for only two Senate terms. Fischer, who will begin her third Senate term in January, said she changed her mind after realizing how important seniority is for members of Congress. Fischer portrayed Osborn as a “Trojan horse” for Democrats and sought to tie him to party figures such as Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Former President Donald Trump also sought to tie Osborn to the left in his endorsement of Fischer.