Sanders, one of four independents who caucus with Democrats, is a self-described socialist, and Osborn has sought to shake off GOP accusations he’s a Democrat disguised as an independent.  

Osborn offered the accolade for Sanders while speaking to a small group of supporters at an event in Omaha on Saturday, according to video and audio clips obtained by the Washington Examiner.

“I love Bernie,” Osborn said. “But the bottom line is we do have to peel off some conservatives.”

In another exchange, Osborn recounted why voters may find old retweets of Sanders on his Twitter account. As a mechanic at the Kellogg’s plant in Omaha in 2021, he led a 2 1/2-month strike that put financial strain on more than 1,400 workers across several plants. Osborn explained that Sanders’s campaign donated money to strikers.

“When we were on strike, Friends of Bernie Sanders gave the striking members $25,000 to help us pay our bills and get groceries,” he said. “He had mentioned some things about how he supported the strike. And so, I retweeted that. So that’s why I’m a Bernie Sanders [inaudible]. There is evidence of me online retweeting Bernie Sanders.”

The Osborn campaign declined to comment for this story.

The system is rigged. We all know it. The only people who can afford to run for Senate full-time are millionaires like my opponent, Republican Deb Fischer.

That’s why they’re the only people who ever win. It’s why the Senate is happy to prioritize profits over people. pic.twitter.com/Bu0gkppkCf

— Dan Osborn, Independent for Senate (@OsbornForSenate) September 9, 2024

A former Democrat himself, Osborn has faced a barrage of criticism from Republicans about his apparent affinity for Sanders. Former President Donald Trump, who captured the Cornhusker State by almost 20 points in 2020, made mention of it in his endorsement of Fischer last week.

“Dan is a ‘Bernie Sanders Democrat’ who does not stand for Nebraska Values, and never will,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) labeled Osborn a “total fraud” because he “supports socialist Bernie Sanders but pretends to be non-partisan.”

Fischer has dubbed Osborn a “Democrat in sheep’s clothing.” 

Nonpartisan election forecasters place Fischer’s race in the reliably red column. She first won the seat in 2012 by unseating Democrat Bob Kerrey by more than 15 points and was reelected in 2018 by nearly 20 points.

But some recent polls have suggested the contest is far narrower, raising eyebrows whether an upset victory by Osborn could be on the horizon. The flip would buoy Democrats’ chances of holding the Senate, who currently face an uphill climb to retain their razor-thin one-seat majority with an election map that favors Republicans.

A nonpartisan poll last month showed Fischer ahead by just 1 point, 39%-38%. Separate Osborn-sponsored surveys this summer had him tied and down 2 points. A Fischer-sponsored poll in July had her up by 26 points.

Osborn, a 49-year-old labor union leader and steamfitter, is hinging his success on consolidating support from anti-Republican voters. Democrats did not run a candidate in the race based on promises from Osborn he would accept their endorsement.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), the chairman of Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, sought to put distance between Osborn and the party. Osborn has received backing from a liberal super PAC and raised $1.6 million as of the end of June, compared to Fischer’s $6.2 million and support from the Senate GOP campaign arm.

“He’s not a Democrat, and I’m not engaged in that in any shape or form,” Peters told reporters Tuesday at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

Osborn drew the ire of the Nebraska Democratic Party earlier this year when he announced the day after the primary that he would no longer accept their endorsement despite courting it for months, leaving Democrats fuming that he “betrayed” them and went “back on his word.”

Still, Osborn is Democrats’ best shot at preventing Fischer from clinching a third term. Dueling abortion ballot measures will be before Nebraska voters in November, an issue that’s expected to draw high turnout.

But supporters raised concerns at Osborn’s Saturday event over GOP attacks that he backs Sanders. A staffer quickly interjected to pivot the conversation before Osborn could respond.

“What if they say something about you being supported by Bernie Sanders like they’re doing in the ads right now?” an attendee asked.

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The staffer replied, “We’re actually going to finish the main line, and then we’re going to run through all the frequently asked questions and get to the stuff on the ads.”

It was unclear whether the subject was revisited.

Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.