Unraveling the Attempted Dissolution of Nebraska’s Legal Marijuana NOW Party
An unexpected political maneuver aimed at dissolving the Legal Marijuana NOW Party in Nebraska has sparked significant controversy and debate about the tactics used in the state’s political landscape. The move, which ultimately failed, has been criticized by various political operatives and highlighted potential flaws in the political process.
In April 2025, Chelsea Richardson, a volunteer for Osborn’s 2024 campaign, submitted a notice to Evnen’s office, claiming that the party was to be dissolved with backing from a majority of the party’s executive board. Richardson, along with nine alleged vice presidents, including herself, the Osborn staffers Marsh and Ramsey, and Delanie Ness, a paid employee of Kerry Eddy’s 2024 campaign, provided sworn affidavits to support the dissolution. [source]
Additional affidavits were signed by Richardson’s husband, Ramsey’s father, and Ness’s fiancé, further supporting the endeavor. However, the attempt was ultimately unsuccessful.
The party’s then-chairman, Elworth, informed Evnen’s office that a new set of officers had been elected the day before Richardson’s notice was filed, effectively removing all nine vice presidents involved in the dissolution effort. In a letter sent to Richardson in June 2025, Evnen concluded that the group lacked the authority to dissolve the party, rejecting their plea.
Geoff Lorenz, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, described the situation as a “wild case” of how political operatives in the U.S. often try to leverage election laws against third parties. “If I was going to do what they were trying to … I would only do it if I really believed that actually, legally speaking, I counted as an officer of this party,” Lorenz remarked.
The dissolution attempt drew condemnation from political rivals who viewed it as an early maneuver by Osborn and his allies to interfere in a contentious election cycle. Elworth labeled the effort as “fraudulent” and accused it of undermining democracy in Nebraska. [source]
Max Oberg, Ricketts’ deputy campaign manager, critiqued the findings from Flatwater, stating they represented “a new low – even for the Osborn campaign.” Oberg further accused Osborn of subverting democracy, calling for an investigation into his alleged actions. “Osborn is so desperate to win he’ll dissolve parties, rig ballots, and plant fake candidates to trick voters,” Oberg commented.
Xavier Royer, Osborn’s campaign spokesperson, distanced Osborn from the Legal Marijuana NOW Party activities, emphasizing that Osborn is an independent candidate to avoid party politics’ “gamesmanship.” Royer acknowledged shared interests between Osborn’s campaign and the party, such as protecting legal medical marijuana and advocating for federal cannabis rescheduling, while noting, “It’s not surprising there might be individuals with connections to both.”
Efforts to interview Ramsey, a paid staffer for Osborn’s 2026 campaign, were unsuccessful. Similarly, Flatwater could not reach Marsh for comments as he did not return to Osborn’s campaign staff in 2026 and was residing in Missouri during the signing of the affidavit. Richardson did not provide any comments on the matter. [source]
Osborn has consistently maintained a distance from partisan candidates who have campaigned in support of him and the Democratic Party. His independent stance has enabled him to gain some electoral success, as evidenced by his narrow loss to Fischer in 2024. In contrast, Ricketts secured a more decisive victory against his Democratic opponent. [source]
In recent elections, significant financial backing from external groups has supported Osborn while also promoting alleged Osborn plant candidates. In 2024, Kerry Eddy’s candidacy for the Legal Marijuana NOW Party’s Senate nomination, which she promised to renounce in favor of Osborn, received substantial financial support from a Nebraska-based Super PAC, Railroaders for Public Safety. This PAC invested $34,658 in Eddy’s primary race, far exceeding her opponent’s total expenditure. Additionally, the PAC spent $1.34 million supporting Osborn and opposing Fischer, as reported by Federal Election Commission filings. [source]
This year, Republicans have identified two primary candidates, Cindy Burbank and Mike Marvin, in the Democratic and Legal Marijuana NOW primaries, respectively, as Osborn plants. Burbank entered the Democratic nomination race following the candidacy announcement of Bill Forbes, a Trump-supporting pastor. Forbes, seen by Nebraska Democratic Party leaders as a Ricketts plant, was perceived as an attempt to weaken Osborn’s prospects. [source]
