(LINCOLN, NE) — In recent weeks, independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn has shaken up what many thought was a predictable race in Nebraska.

Partisan polls show Republican Sen. Deb Fischer faces a tougher-than-expected road to re-election in a state where former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 10 points in the presidential race. The 538 poll average shows Osborn and Fischer running neck and neck.

Osborn, a former union president and Navy veteran, is a first-time candidate running in a traditional GOP stronghold. Nebraska’s two senators and three members of Congress are all Republicans.

In his first television interview, Osborn decried the polarized state of politics and told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl that he was trying to “challenge the system” by running for office.

“I’m frustrated on both sides,” Osborn said on “This Week.” “Fighting, infighting, fighting, doing nothing.”

Osborn’s moment can be traced to a creative ad campaign, in which the candidate says his opponent “has taken so much corporate money, she should wear patches, like NASCAR.”

The Nebraska race attracted $21 million from outside groups, while Osborn raised $8 million and Fischer $6.5 million.

An advertising blitz by Republicans to boost Fischer is trying to paint Osborn as a liberal. The National Republican Senatorial Committee placed a $172,000 ad buy in September, according to AdImpact.

Ads run by Fischer’s campaign call Osborn a “dangerous Trojan horse” and Trump calls him a “Bernie Sanders-type Democrat” in another.

In response to these claims, Osborn said he had been “a registered independent since I could vote.”

A newcomer to politics, Osborn has often spoken out against what he calls a “two-party loop” and criticized Fischer for voting against bipartisan border security legislation last spring.

Osborn led a strike at Kellogg’s cereal factories in 2021, successfully winning higher wages for workers. He said this experience with Kellogg “really opened my eyes to, you know, the way our world is and how our government works.”

Democrats hold 23 Senate seats and Republicans hold 11 this cycle. By slim margins, an Osborn victory could deny Republicans the ability to claim an outright majority — depending on which party they choose to run with.

When pressed by Karl about his potential tie-breaking role in the Senate, Osborn refused to align himself with either side. He also did not say who he is supporting for president.

“I have to navigate the middle, because that’s what the two-party doom loop is all about,” Osborn said. “It means we’re so far apart and politics is so polarised.”

Osborn has said he will not accept any party endorsement, but many Democrats are rallying around his candidacy. The Nebraska Democratic Party is endorsing Osborn through press releases and mail materials to voters.

Trump endorsed Fischer in September, posting on Truth Social that “Deb Fischer has my full and total endorsement – SHE WILL NOT LET DOWN!” Fischer said she was “honored to have the support of President Trump.”

Osborn told Karl to “vote the person,” noting that he supports a veteran if there is one on the ballot.

If he wins and Nebraska sends an independent to the Senate, Osborn said his election could be a “national movement.”

“I think this is the start of something special,” he said. “People are ready for it. And I want to be a part of that.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.