Osborn says he would work with both parties in Senate

Dan Osborn, Brian Bengs and Bill Hill appeared outside the Capitol on Thursday while attending the Independent National Convention. The three independent candidates pressed Congress to regulate artificial intelligence and data centers and promoted campaigns outside the Democratic and Republican parties.

Osborn, an Omaha mechanic and union leader seeking a Nebraska Senate seat, argued that working outside either party could give an independent lawmaker leverage on close votes. Bengs, an independent Senate candidate in South Dakota, said he would not campaign outside the two parties and then join either one after taking office. Hill, an independent House candidate in Alaska, joined them at the Capitol event.

What “everybody” would mean

Asked how he would operate in the Senate, Osborn said he would caucus “with everybody.” He described meeting with majority and minority leaders and using his vote to pursue priorities for Nebraska and the country.

Bengs said he intends to caucus with Osborn in an independent group. He previously ran as South Dakota’s Democratic Senate nominee in 2022 but is campaigning as an independent this time.

How independent caucusing works

Senators typically caucus with Democrats or Republicans, which can affect committee assignments and other internal responsibilities. The Senate’s two current independents, Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, caucus with Democrats.

There have been other arrangements. Kyrsten Sinema retained her committee assignments after changing her affiliation from Democratic to independent in 2022, although she did not formally caucus with Democrats. Osborn’s proposal would test whether an independent group could secure committee roles and participate in Senate organization without joining either major-party caucus.