“Somebody needs to represent the working family,” Morgan said of Osborn, a Navy veteran, industrial mechanic and former union leader.

Osborn is among four independent Senate candidates running in states Donald Trump carried decisively, alongside Seth Bodnar in Montana and candidates in Idaho and South Dakota. They argue that voter frustration with the two-party system and the cost of living creates an opening for candidates who do not identify with either major party.

For Democrats hoping to regain control of Congress, the campaigns pose a strategic question: Can independents attract voters who would reject a Democratic nominee, or will they complicate the party’s efforts to build long-term strength?

Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said her party has been open about its decision to support Osborn. She described coalition-building with independents as a practical way to win elections and advance policies, while acknowledging the party must repair its standing in the state.

Osborn came within seven percentage points of Republican Sen. Deb Fischer in his previous Senate bid, according to the account of the race. This year he is challenging Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts and traveling Nebraska on a 93-county tour, emphasizing workers’ interests and criticizing the influence of money in politics.

Ricketts’ campaign has sought to portray Osborn as a Democrat, including in a radio ad that links him to positions on immigration, guns and taxes. Osborn rejects the label. Some Nebraska voters, including lifelong Republican Sue McNeil, say they support him as an independent and are frustrated with the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress. Other conservatives remain skeptical, arguing he is effectively aligned with Democrats.

The Nebraska Democratic Party’s support followed a contested effort to clear the field for Osborn. The party ran a primary candidate who said she would step aside if she won; after she did, a lawsuit sought to force the party to replace her. The episode has fueled debate over how much influence party leaders should exert over a Senate race.

In Montana, Bodnar, a former Green Beret and former University of Montana president, is also campaigning as an independent. He says he would not join either Senate caucus and argues that an independent could work with both parties. Current independent Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King, by contrast, caucus with Democrats.

Montana’s race has become a sharper source of conflict within the state’s Democratic Party. Some prominent Democrats, including former Sen. Jon Tester and former Gov. Steve Bullock, have endorsed Bodnar, while the party’s nominee, Alani Bankhead, remains in the contest. Former Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer has argued Bodnar would be leading if he had run as a Democrat.

University of Montana political science professor Rob Saldin said the dispute reflects different priorities among Democrats: some see backing Bodnar as the best route to winning, while others want a nominee who can help rebuild the party and support down-ballot candidates over time.

Bankhead has said political figures pressed her indirectly to leave the race and that she and her family faced harassment. She alleged in a Montana PBS interview that she was offered a Democratic National Committee job if she withdrew; the committee denied the claim. Bankhead has pointed to Nebraska’s more public arrangement as a clearer approach.

The campaigns offer different tests of independent politics in the West. In Nebraska, Democrats have openly aligned with Osborn while trying to broaden his appeal beyond their usual base. In Montana, Bodnar’s candidacy has drawn support from some Democrats but intensified a fight over who should represent the party and whether short-term electoral gains justify sidelining its nominee.