The United States Senate, sometimes referred to as “the most exclusive club in the world,” has been criticized as a “millionaire’s club,” where the needs of ordinary Americans are often overlooked in favor of catering to wealthy campaign donors and Wall Street interests. This criticism cuts across party lines, with members from both the Democratic and Republican parties implicated. Although Democrats are generally more supportive of unions and minimum wage increases than Republicans, many have nevertheless backed trade policies that have led to the closure of numerous factories, and some are hesitant to embrace populist calls for increased taxes on the wealthy—possibly because many politicians themselves belong to the affluent class.
A new narrative could emerge if a senator were elected who chose to ignore party affiliations and solely focused on representing the interests of workers. Imagine if this senator were someone like machinist and union leader Dan Osborn, who led a significant strike against corporate exploitation.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain expressed his belief that such a change would be monumental, indicating it could urge both political parties to prioritize working-class issues. As the election on November 5 approaches, Fain is dedicating his efforts to supporting a candidate fitting this mold. In October, he visited Nebraska to advocate for Dan Osborn, who is running as an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Osborn, an industrial mechanic by profession, previously worked at the Kellogg’s plant in Omaha for nearly 20 years. He served as the president of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union Local 50G and led a notable 77-day strike in 2021 against an unjust two-wage tier system among other issues. This strike garnered national attention, casting Osborn as a local hero, especially among those disillusioned by corporate greed. After leaving his job at Kellogg’s, Osborn became a boiler maintenance worker and is now a member of Steamfitters and Plumbers Local 464 in Omaha.
Osborn is currently the most prominent independent candidate in a competitive Senate race in a traditionally conservative state. He has explained that he wasn’t heavily involved in politics until corporate greed directly affected his life during his tenure as a union president.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Osborn and his colleagues worked extensively, maintaining production despite significant absences due to health issues. His experiences during this period, where companies profited immensely while attempting to reduce worker benefits, changed his perspective and exposed the frequency with which the political class fails to support workers. Notably critical of Nebraska’s U.S. Senator Deb Fischer for her anti-worker stances, Osborn chose to run as an independent to stay true to his beliefs rather than align with any major political party.
Osborn is conducting a grassroots campaign, aiming to address issues in Washington, D.C., that he perceives as broken. He maintains that partisan figures might be incapable of solving these problems as they conform to party lines. His campaign promotes union empowerment, better wages, favorable trade policies, and measures against corporate tax evasion, attracting interest from both Democrats and some Republicans. He has been gaining support from diverse groups, including those aligned with Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, with recent polls indicating a close race with Fischer.
For those closely watching the battle for control of the U.S. Senate, Nebraska’s potential shift away from the Republican Party is significant news. If Osborn succeeds, it would deliver a substantial setback to the Republicans, especially given the challenges Democrats face in other key states. Despite this, Osborn’s independent stance means he isn’t rushing to join either party’s caucus.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has chosen not to support Osborn due to his independent status. However, Fain is enthusiastic about Osborn’s candidacy, viewing it as an exciting political development for 2024. Fain emphasizes the importance of electing representatives who genuinely understand and fight for the issues affecting working-class citizens, arguing that Osborn’s background as a union leader and mechanic is precisely the kind of experience needed to bring about meaningful change in government, shifting it away from corporate interests and closer to serving the everyday people.
