# Trump-voting pastor running for Senate as Democrat amid controversy **Published:** 2026-05-07T10:00:00.000Z **Source:** [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-trump-voting-nebraska-pastor-is-running-for-senate-as-a-democrat-he-insists-its-in-good-faith/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/trump-voting-pastor-running-for-senate-as-democrat-amid-controversy PAXTON — A 79-year-old Lutheran pastor who has voted three times for President Donald Trump and frequently espoused conservative views from his pulpit is running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, insisting his candidacy is made in good faith despite accusations from state party leaders that he is a Republican plant designed to split the opposition vote. The candidacy of [Bill Forbes, pastor of Paxton New Life Lutheran Church, has roiled the Democratic primary](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-trump-voting-nebraska-pastor-is-running-for-senate-as-a-democrat-he-insists-its-in-good-faith/) ahead of [the May 12 primary election](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Nebraska,_2026). Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb has called Forbes "a total liar" and accused him of trying to "trick voters" by running as a Democrat when his record suggests otherwise. Forbes told reporters that lying has become "a commodity" in Washington and that exposing this corruption motivated his Senate run. "Lying used to be a moral category, and now lying has become a commodity," Forbes said. "The better liar you are, the higher on the ladder you get." The controversy stems from Forbes entering the Democratic primary race at the last minute in March, upending a carefully coordinated plan by state Democrats. [The Nebraska Democratic Party had decided not to field a candidate](https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/ricketts-faces-multiple-challengers-in-us-senate-race/), hoping to clear the field for independent candidate [Dan Osborn, a Navy veteran and industrial mechanic who narrowly lost to Republican incumbent Deb Fischer in 2024](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Osborn). Flatwater Free Press reviewed more than two dozen now-deleted sermon videos and found Forbes frequently made conservative political arguments, demonized Muslims, and derided former President Joe Biden as "Dementia Joe." In one sermon, Forbes stated that Americans can no longer believe scientific claims, legal rulings, or the concept of evolution. Forbes denied that incumbent Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts or anyone else recruited him to run. He said his motivation is personal: leaving a better world for his eight children and 17 grandchildren. "What kind of world do I want to leave them? That's why I'm involved," Forbes said. The pastor's campaign has sent text messages promising he would "stop Trump's handpicked Senator," referring to Ricketts, yet Forbes posted photos of Ricketts at a Right to Life rally. He declined to identify who is running his campaign. Ricketts' campaign denied involvement in the Democratic primary. "Unlike Jane Kleeb and Dan Osborn, we believe voters should choose their nominees without meddling and king-making from political insiders," Ricketts spokesman Will Coup said. Democrat Cindy Burbank also filed for the primary, claiming her candidacy was intended to block Forbes. [Nebraska's Supreme Court intervened to keep Burbank on the ballot](https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_c90c16fc-6a9b-4e23-bed5-1a5ee0308d1a.html) after the state's Republican secretary of state sought to remove her, citing concerns she was not a "good-faith" candidate. In Keith County, where Paxton is located, fewer than 700 of 5,710 registered voters are Democrats. Nearly 70 percent are Republicans, including members of Forbes' own congregation. Some church members said they hope his candidacy sparks a religious revival despite his party registration. ## Sources - [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-trump-voting-nebraska-pastor-is-running-for-senate-as-a-democrat-he-insists-its-in-good-faith/) - [2026 Nebraska Senate Election information from Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Nebraska,_2026) - [Information on Dan Osborn's 2024 Senate performance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Osborn) - [Nebraska Public Media article on Republican primary challengers to Ricketts](https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/ricketts-faces-multiple-challengers-in-us-senate-race/) - [Journal Star reporting on Burbank ballot challenge](https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_c90c16fc-6a9b-4e23-bed5-1a5ee0308d1a.html) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Flatwater Free Press, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-trump-voting-nebraska-pastor-is-running-for-senate-as-a-democrat-he-insists-its-in-good-faith/.