Democrats in Nebraska have accused pastor William Forbes, who reportedly holds traditional conservative views and has voted for President Donald Trump in the past, of being a Republican plant. The Democrats initially supported Independent candidate Dan Osborn in a bid to defeat Republican Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts in the 2026 midterms. However, Forbes changed his stance to become a Democrat before the filing deadline and has since shared conservative talking points on abortion, Black Lives Matter, and "cultural Marxism". The Nebraska Democratic Party (NDP) accused Forbes of running with the intention of "trick voters" and claimed that his candidacy was a political maneuver by Ricketts to split the opposition vote and protect his Senate seat. The NDP is running and funding a different candidate, Cindy Burbank, to block Forbes.