Dan Osborn, a union leader, came within 7 percentage points of defeating an incumbent Republican senator in Nebraska in 2024 while running as an independent. This approach has drawn attention as political polarization increases. Following Osborn's example, Brian Bengs, a retired Navy and Air Force veteran from Hot Springs, South Dakota, has announced his candidacy for Senate as an independent in 2026. Both candidates aim to challenge the traditional two-party system and create competitive races in states typically dominated by Republicans.
Bengs' campaign against Republican incumbent Sen. Mike Rounds has not garnered the same national attention as Osborn's race. In South Dakota, registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 2-to-1, and President Donald Trump has won the state with over 60% of the vote in three elections. The last Democrat to win statewide office in South Dakota was in 2008.
Despite the Republican stronghold, Bengs believes that the political landscape is shifting. He cites rising gas, diesel, and food prices, as well as Trump's declining popularity, as factors that could influence voters. Bengs' internal polls indicate he is either tied or slightly trailing Rounds, and he expresses confidence in his campaign's momentum.
Bengs' previous experience running as a Democrat in 2022 against GOP Sen. John Thune resulted in a significant loss, which he attributes to the challenges of partisan identity politics. He has since returned to running as an independent, believing it allows for more meaningful conversations with voters. Osborn's success has inspired him to pursue this path, and he hopes to contribute to a growing movement of independent candidates in American politics.