Osborn discusses Tyson closure, outsourcing and agriculture at Johnson Lake
Independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn discussed the Tyson Foods plant closure, job outsourcing and challenges facing American agriculture during a Thursday meet-and-greet at Big Johnson Brewing Co. at Johnson Lake.
Osborn is vying to unseat Sen. Pete Ricketts in the November general election. He lost to Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024.
The Thursday afternoon event conducted in a town hall format, allowed attendees to ask Osborn questions. Much of the discussion focused on the effects corporations have on agriculture and local employment when they outsource jobs and leave vacant industrial buildings behind.
When Tyson announced the closure of its Lexington plant in January, the news sent a wave of concern and uncertainty through the community. Since then, residents have repeatedly asked local officials the same question: What happens now?
An attendee posed that question to Osborn.
Dan Osborn, independent candidate for senate, performed a campaign stop on September 3 at Johnson Lake. The town hall style meet and greet was held at Big Johnson Brewing Company, where guests could enjoy lunch, ask questions and get to know Osborn.
Osborn said he brought an antitrust attorney to the Tyson property following the closure to investigate possible legal violations. He alleged that the plant has not been fully sold because Tyson poured concrete into its drains, which he claimed the company had also done at a Norfolk facility. Such damage, he said, could prevent a competing company from purchasing and using the plant.
Osborn also said Tyson recently paid two $80 million lawsuit settlements and accused the company of “strategically closing down plants.” He said the way Tyson is handling its plant closures is harming local economies and contributing to higher grocery prices.
“Our people keep getting left behind, and these people (corporations and CEOs) keep getting richer,” Osborn said.
Osborn said he wants more beef sold in stores to be labeled as a Nebraska product. He claimed beef imported from Mexico, Brazil and Argentina is processed by corporations, given a U.S. Department of Agriculture label and then sold to American consumers.
“Consumers deserve to know where their beef is coming from,” Osborn said.
Osborn emphasized that he will not accept corporate contributions to fund his campaign because he wants to see the profits from things like ethanol being returned to the producers instead of the CEOs. He said he is committed to supporting American agriculture, increasing transparency on the origin of beef and keeping jobs in the United States.
He argued that corporations are eliminating American jobs by outsourcing work to countries such as India and Mexico, where employees may be paid considerably less.
“We go after the corruption. That’s how we do it,” Osborn said. “I want to change the system.”
If elected, Osborn said he would work to prevent data centers from depleting Nebraska’s aquifers faster than they can recover. He wants to create a no-zone in the state, so data centers cannot take advantage of our natural water resource.
“Water is the new oil,” he said.
He also criticized American politicians for “playing war games” and recognizing military service members only when doing so is politically advantageous.
Osborn served in the military and comes from a family with a history of military service. He said he traveled through the Strait of Hormuz more than once and spent months aboard aircraft carriers.
One attendee asked about reported conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, including concerns that the ship has not received the maintenance it needs.
Osborn said aircraft carriers are so large that supplying and maintaining them is comparable to caring for a small city. He described the carrier on which he served as being 13 stories tall.
If crew members are threatening to jump from those ships, as the attendee suggested, Osborn said it indicates they are experiencing serious mental health crises and the government has a responsibility to determine why.
Throughout the event, Osborn presented his campaign as one focused on protecting Nebraska’s natural resources, supporting American workers and caring for military service members.
“I’m just like them. I am them,” Osborn told the Lexington Clipper-Herald when asked what he most wanted people to know about him and his campaign. “I’ve punched the clock for 24 years, and I know what it’s like to put Christmas on a credit card. I know what it’s like to miss dance recitals and football games in order to put food on the table, and I’m proud of that.
“I think one of the things everyone has in common is their work ethic here in Nebraska. We’re hard workers, and we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and that we have raised families through our hard work. That’s the essence of the campaign: If we work hard and we do the right things, we should be able to get ahead.”
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