Trump heads to Nebraska as Republicans fear strongholds could flip

President Donald Trump is heading to Nebraska for a campaign stop alongside GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts, who is running for re-election against an independent candidate backed by national Democrats. The visit comes as part of Trump's 32-day midterm campaign blitz, which has taken him to conservative strongholds such as Oklahoma and Alabama. Ricketts, a former governor of Nebraska, is seeking a full six-year term in the Senate, while independent Dan Osborn is his main challenger.

The Nebraska campaign is gaining attention due to Trump's plan to allow more imports of foreign beef, which has upset the state's ranchers. While Trump aims to lower beef prices for consumers, ranchers argue that the import proposal would harm their business. Ricketts has urged the White House to reconsider the policy, emphasizing the need to build the size of the herd and bring down beef prices for consumers.

Nebraska's Senate race is considered competitive, as Osborn has lost to Republican Sen. Deb Fischer in the past. Osborn, a former labor union chief, has yet to declare his party affiliation if elected. Other independent candidates, such as Maine's Angus King and Vermont's Bernie Sanders, typically caucus with Democrats. In conservative states like Nebraska, Osborn's candidacy is a challenge to the Democratic brand.

The article also mentions that Maine's Cindy Burbank, who was the Democratic nominee for Senate, has dropped out of the race to avoid splitting votes from Osborn in the general election. Nebraska has a competitive House race in Omaha, known as the "blue dot" of the state, where Republican Rep. Adrian Smith's race is not expected to be close.