Nebraska's independent Senate candidate, Dan Osborn, who identifies himself as a centrist, has publicly committed to "stand up" for law enforcement and to safeguard the "safety and security of our communities.
".
However, a recent hire in his campaign has previously advocated for defunding police departments and participated in an anti-police demonstration in Omaha, which was marked by the display of severed pig heads.
Will Ramsey, who serves as a "digital organizer" for Osborn's campaign against Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, joined Osborn's unsuccessful campaign against Republican Senator Deb Fischer in September 2023. This followed his attendance at a "private, intimate kickoff party" at Osborn's residence.
Before his involvement in Osborn's campaign, Ramsey was a prominent figure in Omaha's anti-police movement. In December 2020, he declared that "the police in the United States and Omaha needs to be defunded and reorganized." In the following year, Ramsey was present at a "Pig Roast" event organized by the Revolutionary Action Party (RAP), an activist group that models itself after the Black Panther Party.
During the protest outside the police union headquarters, activists carried three severed pig heads dressed in police hats, as documented in photos Ramsey shared on his Instagram account, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
Ramsey, who made his Instagram account private following a request for comment, attended another RAP event in August 2021. He posted images of a chalk drawing that read "Cops Kill" and expressed approval for social media posts from the group.
One such post depicted Omaha police union President Anthony Conner as a pig and demanded his resignation from the police union, threatening to "agitate, escalate, and intensify" its efforts if he refused. "Anthony Connor [sic] is hereby considered to be on notice," RAP stated.
Osborn's affiliations extend beyond Ramsey to other anti-police and left-leaning activists. Despite identifying himself as a "lifelong independent," Osborn appointed Brad Chester, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, as finance director for his campaign against Fischer. Chester, who previously worked on Senator Bernie Sanders's campaigns, wrote in 2021 about achieving "socialism in our lifetime."
Osborn's campaign consulting firm, Fight Agency, also represents Zohran Mamdani, a New York City mayoral candidate who advocates for defunding police departments and has labeled all cops as racist. The agency also works for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who referred to all cops as "bastards" in Reddit posts.
Osborn, a former mechanic and union organizer, claims alignment with Republicans on issues such as border security, military, and law enforcement. However, his ties to liberal operatives and the Democratic Party have sparked allegations of him being a "Democrat in disguise."
Ricketts has labeled Osborn a "fake independent" in line with Senate Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren. Schumer's political action committee has funneled millions of dollars into Osborn's campaign against Fischer, and left-leaning organizations like the Democratic dark money powerhouse Sixteen Thirty Fund donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of Osborn last year.
Even Osborn's attempts to align with the conservative movement have connections to Democrats. Conservatives for Osborn, a super PAC affiliated with the campaign, is led by co-treasurers Brandon Philipczyk and James Vihstadt. Philipczyk served as director of Hillary Clintons Nevada operations in 2016, and Vihstadt is a delegate for the Nebraska Democratic Party.
Following the Free Beacon's request for comment, Ramsey made his Instagram account private and did not respond. Osborn's campaign manager, John Dolan, dismissed the Free Beacon's report on Ramsey's anti-police history as "shit on paper," asserting that Osborn "has always fully supported police and has never supported defunding them."
Login