Sen. Deb Fischer is projected to defeat a challenge from independent Dan Osborn after an unusually competitive race.

Senator Deb Fischer, Republican of Nebraska, has won a third term, according to The Associated Press, staving off a spirited and unexpectedly tough challenge from independent Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and political newcomer,

Osborn, a former labor leader, mounted what was initially a longshot bid against the two-term incumbent that sent Republicans into a last-minute panic.