Two-term Republican Sen. Deb Fischer is defending her Senate seat in a contest that's grown unexpectedly competitive in Nebraska, a reliably red state, with polls indicating a tight race against independent candidate Dan Osborn in the lead-up to Election Day.

An unexpected win for independent candidate Dan Osborn in the Nebraska Senate race would deal a blow to Republicans, but it wouldn’t necessarily be a boon for Democrats. Nebraska’s Senate seats have long been uncompetitive for Republicans as the last time a Democrat was elected to represent the state in the upper

Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer faces her strongest election challenge yet as she hopes to fend off an independent candidate, Dan Osborn.

Over the past few weeks, independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn has shaken up what many thought was a predictable race in Nebraska.

Osborn brought his campaign to northeast Nebraska on Wednesday, meeting voters in Wayne and South Sioux City before heading to Oakland and other towns tomorrow. The union welder, who is running as an independent, told voters he wants to bringing together people of all backgrounds, adding that the two-party system is getting nothing done.

The survey found that Osborn has a 31-point lead over Fischer with self-identifying independents. He is also supported by 88% of Democrats and 15% of Republicans, according to the poll. An Osborn win would be a stunning upset in Nebraska, where Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1.

Even as outside polling shows a competitive race for U.S. Senate in ruby-red Nebraska, Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer remains adamant that her challenge from nonpartisan industrial mechanic Dan Osborn is a media-driven fabrication.