Dan Osborn Has Been
Hijacking
Third-Party Primaries.

Political blogger Julia Schleck (rumored to have recruited Eddy) publicly laid out the strategy online: run a candidate who would "sweep the [Legal Marijuana Now] primary and then take their name off the ballot and endorse Osborn, throwing their votes his way." The playbook was in writing before a single vote was cast.

Eddy, a Lincoln woman, had been a registered Democrat until March 2024 — the same month she suddenly filed to run under the Legal Marijuana Now Party banner. She posted on her own campaign website that she was running specifically "to support an independent candidate, Dan Osborn," and wrote she would step aside if he appeared to have a stronger chance of defeating Fischer. The LMN Party's own preferred candidate, Kenneth Peterson, alleged that Osborn supporters repeatedly pressured him to drop out.

In a primary with only 1,049 total voters, Kerry Eddy defeated the LMN Party's actual preferred candidate Kenneth Peterson 743 votes (70.8%) to 306 (29.2%).

The Nebraska Democratic Party had already agreed to hold their primary ballot line open for Osborn — Party Chair Jane Kleeb confirmed Osborn "asked us to keep our ballot line open so we could form a coalition." The party held its primary vacant in anticipation of formally endorsing Osborn on May 18. The day after the primary, Osborn held a press conference in his garage and announced he would no longer seek any party endorsements.

Eddy announced her withdrawal, citing polling that showed Osborn had a stronger chance of defeating Fischer. She endorsed Osborn. It was precisely the outcome the original plan had described months earlier.

When LMN moved to place a replacement on the November ballot, Eddy's own campaign treasurer, John Cartier, sent a letter to party leadership warning that replacing her could expose the party to a lawsuit and potential prosecution for "potentially falsifying election-related documents." Facing no resources to fight litigation, the party stood down.