The person behind the name
Pete Ricketts’s public career runs from his family’s brokerage business to two terms as Nebraska’s governor and a U.S. Senate seat he first held by appointment.
Ricketts is the incumbent Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska. He won the May 12, 2026 Republican primary with 160,547 votes; the runner-up among his four challengers, Todd Knobel, received 15,921, according to the Board of State Canvassers’ official report. The Nebraska Secretary of State’s final general-election candidate list, dated September 11, 2026, names him as the Republican candidate, and the incumbent, for the six-year Senate term on the November 3 ballot. [1][2]
Education and business career
His official Senate biography says he graduated from Westside High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance at the University of Chicago. The university’s alumni magazine lists him as AB’86, MBA’91. The biography says he worked for Union Pacific in Omaha and then joined his family’s business, the company later known as Ameritrade, as a customer services representative. It lists later posts there that include three senior vice presidencies, president, and chief operating officer. [3][23]
The same biography says he founded Drakon, LLC, which it describes as supporting Nebraska entrepreneurs and startup companies, and that he is a past board member of TD Ameritrade and of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The page gives no dates for these business roles. [3]
A lost Senate race, then two terms as governor
Ricketts first ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006 and lost to Democratic incumbent Ben Nelson, 64% to 36%, in what the Nebraska Examiner described as the most expensive Senate race in Nebraska history to that point. The University of Chicago Magazine wrote that he spent “a reported $12 million of his own money” on that race. [23][26]
He was elected governor in 2014, when the official canvass recorded 308,751 votes for the ticket of Ricketts and Mike Foley and 211,905 for Democrats Chuck Hassebrook and Jane Raybould. His biography says he was sworn in as Nebraska’s 40th governor on January 8, 2015. He was reelected in 2018 with 411,812 votes to 286,169 for the Democratic ticket of Bob Krist and Lynne M. Walz. [3][6][7]
From appointment to election
Senator Ben Sasse left the Senate in January 2023 to lead the University of Florida. Governor Jim Pillen, Ricketts’s successor, chose him from a list of 111 applicants after interviewing nine, the Nebraska Examiner reported. The Senate’s list of appointed senators records the appointment as effective January 12, 2023 and his oath on January 23, 2023. On November 5, 2024 voters elected him to the final two years of the term, with 585,103 votes to 349,902 for Democrat Preston Love Jr. [4][5][27]
In the Senate
His Senate office’s biography page lists committee assignments on Environment and Public Works; Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and the Budget. Two conservative advocacy groups score his votes. Heritage Action showed a 94% session score and an 84% lifetime score on the review date. The Club for Growth lists a lifetime score of 84, with annual scores of 85 for 2023, 88 for 2024 and 80 for 2025. Both measure agreement with the group’s own positions. [3][24][25]
A note on the 2026 ballot. No Democrat appears on the Secretary of State’s final list for this race. Cindy Burbank won the Democratic primary and then filed paperwork declining the nomination; Secretary of State Bob Evnen said in a July 21, 2026 statement that under Nebraska law, once a nomination is declined by the deadline, “the Secretary of State has no discretion to refuse it.” The list carries five names: Ricketts; Dan Osborn, a registered nonpartisan who qualified by petition; Mike Marvin of the Legal Marijuana NOW Party, who suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Osborn but remains listed; Robin Richards of the Nebraska Working People Party; and Chuck Conboy of the America First Party. [1][2][32][33][36][37]
Life & public service
From a first statewide campaign to the Senate floor, the milestones below follow election canvasses, a court opinion, slip laws and roll calls.
First U.S. Senate campaign
Lost to Democratic incumbent Ben Nelson, 64% to 36%, the Nebraska Examiner reported. [26]
Elected governor
The Ricketts–Foley ticket received 308,751 votes to 211,905 for Democrats Chuck Hassebrook and Jane Raybould, according to the official canvass. [6]
Supreme Court rules on the referendum
The Nebraska Supreme Court held on July 8 that his alleged financial or other support for the death-penalty referendum did not make him a sponsor of the petition. [8]
Reelected governor
Won a second term with 411,812 votes to 286,169 for the Democratic ticket of Bob Krist and Lynne M. Walz. [7]
A resolution becomes law
Voted yea on S. 5, the Laken Riley Act, on January 20 and on H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill, on July 1. His resolution overturning a consumer-finance rule became Public Law 119-11 on May 9. On October 30 he voted nay on ending the tariff emergency. [15][16][19][20][22]
Accomplishments, in the record
Legislation and official documents establish the following work. Outcomes are described at the level supported by those records, with shared credit where other officials were principal authors.
A veto, an override, a referendum
The Nebraska Legislature passed L.B. 268 in 2015 to repeal the state’s death penalty. Ricketts vetoed the bill, and the Legislature overrode his veto on May 27, 2015. That sequence is set out in the Nebraska Supreme Court’s opinion in Hargesheimer v. Gale. [8]
A referendum petition followed, asking voters at the November 2016 general election whether the death penalty should be reinstated. Challengers alleged that Ricketts and his father “became by far the largest financiers and donors” to that effort. On July 8, 2016 the court held that his alleged financial or other support did not make him a person “sponsoring the petition,” and it upheld the dismissal of the complaint. The opinion predates the vote and does not record its outcome. [8]
Approving two state tax packages
The slip law for LB 1107 records the governor’s approval on August 17, 2020. The act adopted the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act together with the ImagiNE Nebraska Act and four other acts. [9]
The slip law for LB 873 records his approval on April 13, 2022. It steps the top individual income-tax rate down from 6.84% to 5.84% for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027. Both measures were acts of the Legislature that he approved. The slip laws do not apportion credit between lawmakers and the governor, and they state no dollar total of tax relief. [10]
Two recorded votes on H.R. 815
On February 13, 2024 Ricketts voted nay when the Senate passed H.R. 815, as amended, 70–29. On April 23, 2024 he voted yea on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the same bill, which carried 79–18. The measure became Public Law 118-50, an emergency supplemental appropriations act whose first three divisions are titled the Israel, Ukraine and Indo-Pacific security supplemental appropriations acts. [11][12][13]
The roll-call pages do not give senators’ reasons. In a February 6, 2024 statement on the national security supplemental then before the Senate, his office objected that the bill would not force the administration to secure the border, and Ricketts said, “I will vote no.” This review did not locate a statement from his office explaining the April vote. [14]
The Laken Riley Act and Sarah’s Law
Ricketts voted yea when the Senate passed S. 5, the Laken Riley Act, as amended, 64–35 on January 20, 2025. The law requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens charged in the United States with theft. It was approved as Public Law 119-1 on January 29, 2025. [15][16]
On January 30, the day after the signing, his office issued a statement that highlighted a provision it called Sarah’s Law. The statement says the provision was originally introduced by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa and requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal aliens criminally charged with killing or seriously injuring another person. It is named for Sarah Root, who the statement says was killed in a car crash in Omaha at age 21. The statement does not describe Ricketts as the provision’s author, and the law’s text does not use that name. [16][17]
A disapproval resolution becomes law
Ricketts introduced S.J. Res. 28, a Congressional Review Act resolution disapproving a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule titled “Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications.” The legislative history printed with the law shows Senate passage on March 4–5, 2025 and House passage on April 9. It was approved as Public Law 119-11 on May 9, 2025. [18][19]
His office’s May 12, 2025 announcement quoted him: “I am happy President Trump signed my resolution into law to reverse this regulation and support American consumers.” The law’s text provides that the rule “shall have no force or effect.” Neither document measures the effect on consumers. [18][19]
A yea on a tie-vote bill
On July 1, 2025 the Senate passed H.R. 1, as amended, on a 50–50 vote with the Vice President voting yea. The roll call records Ricketts as a yea. The House agreed to the Senate’s version two days later, 218–214; the House Clerk’s record titles the bill the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. [20][21]
His campaign says he “helped pass the largest federal tax cut in American history” and that the bill will raise pay by $9,050 for the average Nebraska family. At the September 1, 2026 debate he cited his support for what he called the Working Families Tax Cut Act, which the Nebraska Examiner noted is commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, and said it prevented a $2,400 tax increase on Nebraskans. These are the candidate’s figures. The roll calls establish his vote, not the law’s effects. [38][42]
Keeping the tariff emergency in place
On October 30, 2025 the Senate passed S.J. Res. 88, a joint resolution “terminating the national emergency declared to impose global tariffs,” 51–47. Ricketts voted nay, as did Nebraska’s other senator, Deb Fischer. Four Republicans are recorded as voting yea. [22]
He has defended that position during the campaign. At the September 1, 2026 debate, the Nebraska Examiner reported, he said the administration’s tariffs help level the playing field with other nations and that he wants to keep using tariffs to protect Nebraska agriculture. [38]
Faith, family & community
His official Senate biography says he and his wife, Susanne Shore, live in Omaha and have three children. It says the family attends St. Margaret Mary’s church. [3]
The same biography lists service on the board of the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts, as a director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation, and on the Board of Advisors of the Opportunity Education Foundation. It also lists membership in the Archbishop’s Committee for Development and the Knights of Columbus, and describes him as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. [3]
These are the office’s own present-tense descriptions on a page reviewed September 17, 2026. The page gives no dates for the affiliations, and this profile adds nothing about his family or faith beyond what it states. [3]
His mission for Nebraska
Nebraskans know – no matter where he is, Pete’s mission is the same: deliver for Nebraska.
The following summarizes the issue pages on Ricketts’s official campaign website. They pair claims about his record with stated priorities; the claims and figures are the campaign’s own and are not independently verified here. [40][41]
01Taxes
The campaign says he helped pass the 2025 federal tax law and lists provisions it credits to that law: no tax on tips or overtime, an expanded child tax credit, wider protection from the estate tax for agricultural producers, extended small-business tax cuts, and lower taxes on Social Security benefits. It says the law will raise pay by $9,050 for the average Nebraska family, a campaign figure. [42]
02Border security and policing
The campaign cites his votes for a $46.5 billion border-security investment, 16,000 Border Patrol agents and $4 billion to clear the immigration-court backlog. It says he opposed calls to defund the police and has co-sponsored harsher penalties for crimes that target law-enforcement officers. [43]
03China and national security
The campaign describes Communist China as “a threat to our American way of life” and cites his Foreign Relations Committee seat, a bipartisan bill on farmland ownership by foreign adversaries, and a bill to limit China’s use of tax incentives. It lists votes for $150 billion in national-security spending, $168 million for Offutt Air Force Base and $2.5 billion for the Sentinel ICBM program. [44]
04Government efficiency
The campaign says he is a member of the DOGE Caucus, introduced the bipartisan Improper Payments Transparency Act, and voted to hold states accountable for fraud in SNAP. It credits him with helping pass legislation that it says will cut nearly $2 trillion in government spending. [45]
05Veterans and retirees
Under the heading “Delivering Proven Nebraska Solutions,” the campaign says he introduced the bipartisan Tax Cuts for Veterans Act and voted to end federal taxes on Social Security benefits for 88% of seniors, a campaign figure. It also says that as governor he phased out state taxes on military retirement income and Social Security. [46]
06Land, guns and women’s sports
Under “Defending Our Values,” the campaign says he opposed a Biden administration conservation plan that it describes as seizing 30% of Nebraska’s land, resisted that administration’s actions on Second Amendment rights, and voted to bar men from competing in women’s sports. [47]
07Rural hospitals and casework
The campaign’s agenda page says he helped secure $500 million in guaranteed funding for rural Nebraska hospitals and that his office assisted nearly 1,800 Nebraskans in dealing with the federal government. These are campaign figures. [41]
08Tariffs and Iran
At the September 1, 2026 Nebraska State Fair debate, the Nebraska Examiner reported, Ricketts defended the administration’s tariffs and said he wants to keep using them to protect Nebraska agriculture. He also said he favored continued pressure on Iran through measures such as sanctions to keep it from developing a nuclear weapon. [38]
How to assess a proposal. A campaign plan states an intention. Enactment, implementation costs, replacement revenue, and measured results are separate questions. These priorities should be read alongside the documented record above.
The fuller record
A useful profile includes policy tradeoffs, the limits of a claim, and responses to material criticism.
An appointment by a governor he backed
The Nebraska Examiner reported that Ricketts spent more than $1.3 million during the 2022 election backing Jim Pillen’s campaign for governor. Pillen appointed him to the Senate on January 12, 2023. Before the choice was made, Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb called a possible Ricketts appointment “the state’s most obvious pay-to-play case.” On the day of the appointment, Ricketts and Pillen said there was no arrangement involving the seat, and Pillen said Ricketts had committed to run in 2024 and 2026. Voters elected Ricketts to the seat on November 5, 2024. The reporting establishes the spending and the criticism; it does not establish any agreement. [5][27][28]
Self-funding and campaign money
The Nebraska Examiner reported on July 28, 2026 that Ricketts’s $6.3 million fundraising total for the latest quarter included $5.2 million of his own money, and that he raised about $1.1 million without it. Osborn has said of Ricketts that “he wrote himself a check for five and a quarter million dollars,” the Examiner reported on September 10. The Ricketts campaign has said he is “investing in his own campaign because he answers to Nebraskans,” and at the September 1 debate he said, “The truth is, I can’t be bought.” In a December 2022 Examiner interview he had said, “Supporting candidates is a matter of free speech.” The dollar figures are the Examiner’s reading of campaign-finance reports; this profile did not read the filings. [29][32][34][38][39]
Financing the death-penalty referendum
After the Legislature overrode his veto of the death-penalty repeal, challengers to the resulting referendum petition alleged in court that Ricketts raised money for it, that he and his father were its largest donors, and that he “managed, organized and controlled the referendum campaign.” The Nebraska Supreme Court did not decide whether those allegations were true. It held on July 8, 2016 that his alleged support did not make him a person “sponsoring the petition,” and the complaint was dismissed. The opinion resolves a challenge to the petition; it is not a finding about Ricketts’s conduct. [8]
Tariffs and Nebraska agriculture
Ricketts voted nay on the October 2025 resolution to end the emergency behind the global tariffs. At the September 1, 2026 debate, Osborn argued that the “blanket” tariffs raise prices for Americans and are effectively an added tax, the Nebraska Examiner reported. Ricketts defended the tariffs and noted his endorsement by the Nebraska Farm Bureau. He also said he had told President Trump that “short-term solutions,” such as a tariff waiver on imported ground beef, are not good for ranchers. The sources do not measure the tariffs’ net effect on Nebraska producers. [22][38]
‘Plant’ and Epstein-files attacks
The campaigns traded accusations about spoiler candidates. Before the primary, Democrat Cindy Burbank alleged that fellow Democrat William Forbes was running to help Ricketts, and Osborn later said, in remarks reported by WOWT, that “Mr. Forbes was planted there from the Ricketts camp.” The Ricketts campaign told the Nebraska Examiner: “Dan Osborn’s conspiracy theory is completely false. The Ricketts campaign had no role in the Democratic primary.” A Legal Marijuana NOW Party figure, Mark Elworth Jr., separately alleged that Mike Marvin was running to help Osborn; Marvin called that “slanderous.” The reporting records allegations and denials. It does not establish coordination by any campaign. Separately, the Examiner reported on September 10, 2026 that Osborn attacked Ricketts for “voting against” the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and noted that Ricketts “did vote with the rest of the state’s federal delegation” for the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The article does not identify the vote Osborn meant, and this review did not locate a roll call matching his description. [30][35][39]
What the largest numbers establish
The campaign says Ricketts “cut property taxes by $10 billion” and delivered $12.7 billion in tax relief as governor. His Senate biography states the totals with a qualifier: more than $12.7 billion in tax relief, including more than $10 billion in property-tax relief, “by 2027,” a period that runs past his time as governor. The slip laws reviewed here document approval dates, program names and a rate schedule, not dollar totals. This review found no independent audit of those figures, or of the campaign’s $9,050 and 88% claims about the 2025 federal law. [3][9][10][42][46]
Questions & answers
Who is Pete Ricketts?
Pete Ricketts is a Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska and a former two-term governor. His Senate biography says he held executive posts, including president and chief operating officer, at the company that became Ameritrade. He was appointed to the Senate effective January 12, 2023 and elected on November 5, 2024. [3][4][5]
What office is Pete Ricketts running for in 2026?
Who is Pete Ricketts running against?
Four other candidates are listed: Dan Osborn, a registered nonpartisan who qualified by petition; Mike Marvin of the Legal Marijuana NOW Party, who suspended his campaign and endorsed Osborn but remains on the ballot; Robin Richards of the Nebraska Working People Party; and Chuck Conboy of the America First Party. No Democrat is listed. [1][36][37]
When is the election?
How did Pete Ricketts get his Senate seat?
Governor Jim Pillen appointed him in January 2023 after Senator Ben Sasse left to lead the University of Florida; the Senate records the appointment as effective January 12, 2023. Voters elected him on November 5, 2024 to finish the term, 585,103 votes to 349,902 for Democrat Preston Love Jr. [4][5][27]
What are Pete Ricketts’s main campaign priorities?
His campaign website groups its agenda under six headings: “Cutting Taxes,” “Keeping Nebraskans Safe,” “Protecting Our National Security,” “Making Government Work Better,” “Delivering Proven Nebraska Solutions” and “Defending Our Values.” The descriptions and figures on those pages are the campaign’s own. [41][42]
What has Pete Ricketts done in office?
In the Senate he voted yea on the Laken Riley Act and on H.R. 1, the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, and his resolution overturning a consumer-finance rule became Public Law 119-11. As governor he approved state tax laws in 2020 and 2022, and his 2015 veto of a death-penalty repeal was overridden. [8][9][10][15][16][19][20]
The sources behind the story
Primary government documents anchor the record. Official biographies establish attributed background; original reporting supplies election results and scrutiny. Campaign materials are used for the candidate’s own priorities and claims.
- 01Final Statewide General Candidate List: November 3, 2026 General ElectionNebraska Secretary of State · Sep. 11, 2026
Official list dated 9/11/2026. Five rows for United States Senator: Ricketts (Republican, incumbent), Marvin (Legal Marijuana NOW), Richards (Nebraska Working People), Conboy (America First) and Osborn (by petition). No Democratic row appears.Government / regulatory record - 02Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers: Primary Election, May 12, 2026Nebraska Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Certified primary canvass. Republican U.S. Senate totals: Ricketts 160,547; Todd Knobel 15,921; Debb Axtell Schultz 11,735; Mac Stevens 5,204; Eric Mortimore 3,667. Also shows Cindy Burbank winning the Democratic primary. The certification date was not read.Government / regulatory record - 03About Pete: official Senate biographyOffice of U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Official biography: education, Ameritrade roles, governor and Senate swearing-in dates, committee assignments, family and affiliations. Its tax-relief and budget figures are the office’s own claims, not audited results.Government / regulatory record - 04Appointed SenatorsU.S. Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Senate reference table. The Ricketts row gives the appointment’s effective date (Jan. 12, 2023), the oath date (Jan. 23, 2023) and his later election (Nov. 5, 2024). It does not name the appointing governor or the predecessor.Government / regulatory record - 05Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers: General Election, November 5, 2024Nebraska Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Certified results for the two-year U.S. Senate term: Ricketts 585,103; Preston Love Jr. 349,902. The same book shows Dan Osborn’s 2024 by-petition candidacy for the other Senate seat. No percentages are printed for the contest.Government / regulatory record - 06Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers: General Election, November 4, 2014Nebraska Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Certified 2014 results for governor and lieutenant governor: Ricketts–Foley 308,751; Hassebrook–Raybould 211,905; Elworth–Zimmerman 19,001.Government / regulatory record - 07Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers: General Election, November 6, 2018Nebraska Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Certified 2018 results for governor and lieutenant governor: Ricketts–Foley 411,812; Krist–Walz 286,169.Government / regulatory record - 08Hargesheimer v. Gale, 294 Neb. 123Nebraska Supreme Court (via Justia) · Decided July 8, 2016
Opinion recounts the 2015 veto of L.B. 268 and the May 27, 2015 override, and the allegations about Ricketts’s role in the referendum. It holds that alleged support did not make him a petition sponsor. It predates the vote and makes no findings about his conduct.Government / regulatory record - 09LB 1107 (2020): slip lawNebraska Legislature · Approved Aug. 17, 2020
Slip law records the governor’s approval on August 17, 2020 and the acts adopted, including the Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act and the ImagiNE Nebraska Act. The portion read did not show credit amounts or the bill’s introducers.Government / regulatory record - 10LB 873 (2022): slip lawNebraska Legislature · Approved Apr. 13, 2022
Slip law records the governor’s approval on April 13, 2022 and a top individual income-tax rate stepping from 6.84% to 5.84% for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027. It states no dollar total and does not apportion credit.Government / regulatory record - 11Roll Call Vote 118th Congress, 2nd Session, No. 48: On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 815, as Amended)U.S. Senate · Feb. 13, 2024
Bill passed 70–29; Ricketts is recorded as Nay. The page prints only the bill’s formal title and gives no reasons for any senator’s vote.Government / regulatory record - 12Roll Call Vote 118th Congress, 2nd Session, No. 154: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 815U.S. Senate · Apr. 23, 2024
Motion agreed to 79–18; Ricketts is recorded as Yea. The page gives no reasons for any senator’s vote.Government / regulatory record - 13Public Law 118-50 (H.R. 815)U.S. Government Publishing Office · Approved Apr. 24, 2024
Enacted text of H.R. 815, an emergency supplemental appropriations act. Divisions A–C are the Israel, Ukraine and Indo-Pacific security supplemental appropriations acts. Establishes what the two 2024 roll calls concerned, not why any senator voted as he did.Government / regulatory record - 14Ricketts on National Security Supplemental: “This Bill Doesn’t Get the Job Done”Office of U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts · Feb. 6, 2024
Official statement, issued a week before the February 13 roll call, objecting to the supplemental on border-policy grounds and saying “I will vote no.” It addresses the version then before the Senate and does not explain the April vote.Government / regulatory record - 15Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session, No. 7: On Passage of the Bill (S. 5, As Amended)U.S. Senate · Jan. 20, 2025
Bill passed 64–35; Ricketts is recorded as Yea. The page describes S. 5 by its formal title only.Government / regulatory record - 16Public Law 119-1 (S. 5): Laken Riley ActU.S. Government Publishing Office · Approved Jan. 29, 2025
Enacted text of S. 5, with the short title Laken Riley Act and the approval date. Legislative history: Senate, January 13–17 and 20, 2025; House, January 22. The law’s text does not use the name Sarah’s Law; that label comes from the senator’s statement.Government / regulatory record - 17VIDEO: Ricketts Celebrates President Trump’s Signing of Laken Riley Act with Sarah’s LawOffice of U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts · Jan. 30, 2025
Official statement on the signing. Credits Senator Joni Ernst with originally introducing Sarah’s Law and recounts the death of Sarah Root in Omaha. It does not describe Ricketts as the provision’s author.Government / regulatory record - 18Trump Signs Ricketts’ Consumer Payment CRA into LawOffice of U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts · May 12, 2025
Official announcement identifying Ricketts as the senator who introduced the Congressional Review Act resolution, with his statement. Its characterization of the rule is the office’s own.Government / regulatory record - 19Public Law 119-11 (S.J. Res. 28)U.S. Government Publishing Office · Approved May 9, 2025
Enacted joint resolution disapproving the CFPB rule on general-use digital consumer payment applications. Legislative history: Senate, March 4–5, 2025; House, April 9, 2025. It does not measure any effect on consumers.Government / regulatory record - 20Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session, No. 372: On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 1, as Amended)U.S. Senate · July 1, 2025
Budget reconciliation bill passed 50–50 with the Vice President voting Yea; Ricketts is recorded as Yea. Establishes the vote, not the law’s effects.Government / regulatory record - 21Roll Call 190: H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act, On Motion to Concur in the Senate AmendmentClerk of the U.S. House of Representatives · July 3, 2025
House record that titles H.R. 1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and shows the House agreeing to the Senate’s version, 218–214. Used to tie the Senate roll call to the law’s common name.Government / regulatory record - 22Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session, No. 600: On the Joint Resolution (S.J.Res. 88)U.S. Senate · Oct. 30, 2025
Joint resolution to end the emergency behind the global tariffs passed 51–47. Ricketts and Fischer are recorded as Nay; Collins, McConnell, Murkowski and Paul are the Republicans recorded as Yea.Government / regulatory record - 23Here’s the PitchUniversity of Chicago Magazine · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Alumni-magazine feature by Jon Greenberg on the Ricketts family and the Chicago Cubs. Lists Pete Ricketts as AB’86, MBA’91 and describes the 2006 Senate race, including a “reported” $12 million of his own money. The issue date was not printed on the page read.Independent analysis / professional record - 24Scorecard: Sen. Pete RickettsHeritage Action for America · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Advocacy-group scorecard showing a 94% session score and an 84% lifetime score on the review date. It measures agreement with Heritage Action’s positions. The votes behind the score were not reviewed.Independent analysis / professional record - 25Congressional Scorecard: Pete RickettsClub for Growth · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Advocacy-group scorecard: lifetime 84; 2023, 85; 2024, 88; 2025, 80. It measures agreement with the Club for Growth’s economic positions. The votes behind the scores were not reviewed.Independent analysis / professional record - 26Love makes history again while Ricketts lays groundwork for second run in 2026Nebraska Examiner · Nov. 2, 2024
Aaron Sanderford’s preview of the 2024 special election. Supplies the 2006 result against Ben Nelson (64%–36%) and describes Ricketts as a two-term governor appointed by his successor.Independent reporting - 27Pillen, as expected, taps former Gov. Pete Ricketts to succeed Sasse in SenateNebraska Examiner · Jan. 12, 2023
Aaron Sanderford’s report on the appointment: 111 applicants, nine interviewed, Ricketts’s spending of more than $1.3 million to help elect Pillen, Jane Kleeb’s criticism, and both men’s statement that there was no arrangement.Independent reporting - 28Gov. Ricketts now says he’ll be an applicant for vacant U.S. Senate seatNebraska Examiner · Dec. 6, 2022
Paul Hammel’s report on Ricketts’s decision to apply. Records Jane Kleeb’s “pay-to-play” criticism before the appointment was made. It contains no response to that criticism.Independent reporting - 29Ricketts expresses optimism about bridging political divide, says he ran government like a businessNebraska Examiner · Dec. 23, 2022
Paul Hammel’s end-of-term interview. Used only for Ricketts’s own words on political giving and on his record. It does not cover the death penalty or Medicaid.Independent reporting - 30Nebraska U.S. Senate race filled with alleged ‘plants,’ campaigns sayNebraska Examiner · Mar. 3, 2026
Juan Salinas II’s report (updated March 31, 2026) on spoiler allegations in both directions, with the Ricketts campaign’s denial and Mike Marvin’s denial. It records allegations; it does not establish coordination by any campaign.Independent reporting - 31Burbank wins Nebraska Dem U.S. Senate primary, likely giving Osborn a clearer shot against RickettsNebraska Examiner · May 12, 2026
Juan Salinas II’s primary-night report. Says Ricketts “easily won his GOP primary” and carries his statement. Vote totals in this profile come from the state canvass, not this story.Independent reporting - 32Nebraska nonpartisan US Senate candidate Dan Osborn qualifies for November ballotNebraska Examiner · July 16, 2026
Juan Salinas II’s report that the Secretary of State’s office verified Osborn’s petition signatures. Carries the Ricketts campaign’s statement on self-funding.Independent reporting - 33Nebraska Secretary of State says Democrat Cindy Burbank won’t appear on US Senate ballotNebraska Examiner · July 21, 2026
Juan Salinas II’s report on Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s acceptance of Burbank’s paperwork declining the Democratic nomination.Independent reporting - 34Ricketts outraises Osborn in latest report for Nebraska US Senate raceNebraska Examiner · July 28, 2026
Juan Salinas II’s reading of the latest campaign-finance reports: a $6.3 million quarter for Ricketts that included $5.2 million of his own money. The underlying FEC filings were not read for this profile.Independent reporting - 35Election 2026: Nebraska Senate race tangled in ballot dramaWOWT 6 News (Omaha) · July 30, 2026
Report by Gina Dvorak, Jake Lawson and Ron Johnson on the ballot disputes. Carries Osborn’s allegation about William Forbes and a response from the Ricketts campaign’s deputy manager. It does not establish who, if anyone, recruited a candidate.Independent reporting - 36Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Senate candidate endorses Osborn after suspending campaignNebraska Examiner · Aug. 21, 2026
Juan Salinas II’s report that Mike Marvin suspended his campaign for health reasons and endorsed Osborn while remaining on the ballot.Independent reporting - 37Nebraska Working People Party Chair Richards running for U.S. Senate herselfNebraska Examiner · Sep. 1, 2026
Zach Wendling’s report on the two new parties’ Senate nominees, Robin Richards of Ralston and Chuck Conboy of Papillion. Confirms the five-name Senate ballot independently of the state list.Independent reporting - 38Ricketts, Osborn talk tariffs, Iran war during Nebraska State Fair debateNebraska Examiner · Sep. 1, 2026
Erin Bamer’s report on the September 1 debate in Grand Island: positions on tariffs, Iran, taxes and campaign money, with each candidate’s criticism of the other. Claims made on stage are the candidates’ own.Independent reporting - 39Nebraska Senate race mud-throwing will continue to the bitter end, but do voters care?Nebraska Examiner · Sep. 10, 2026
Juan Salinas II’s overview of the campaign’s attacks, including Osborn’s criticism of Ricketts’s self-funding and Ricketts’s reply. Notes that no independent public polling of the race existed at that date.Independent reporting - 40Pete Ricketts for Senate: official campaign homepagePete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign’s own summary of the candidate and its mission line, its social-media links and its “Paid for by” disclaimer. Self-description, not independent verification.Campaign source - 41Delivering for NebraskaPete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Index of the campaign’s six issue pages, with claims about rural-hospital funding and constituent casework. Campaign figures, not audited results.Campaign source - 42Cutting TaxesPete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign’s tax page. Its $10 billion, $12.7 billion, $9,050 and 88% figures are campaign claims; the Senate biography states the state totals as running “by 2027.”Campaign source - 43Keeping Nebraskans SafePete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign’s border-security and law-enforcement page. Dollar and staffing figures are the campaign’s descriptions of votes and state investments.Campaign source - 44Protecting Our National SecurityPete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign’s national-security page: China, farmland ownership, defense spending, Offutt Air Force Base and the Sentinel program. Campaign descriptions of bills and votes.Campaign source - 45Making Government Work BetterPete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign’s government-efficiency page: state spending growth, the DOGE Caucus, the Improper Payments Transparency Act and SNAP. Campaign claims.Campaign source - 46Delivering Proven Nebraska SolutionsPete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign page on applying Nebraska policies federally: veterans’ and retirees’ taxes, SNAP administration. The 88% figure is a campaign claim.Campaign source - 47Defending Our ValuesPete Ricketts for Senate · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Campaign’s values page: federal land conservation, Second Amendment, women’s sports. The page does not address abortion.Campaign source
No matching sources. Try “Senate”, “election” or “campaign.”
Scope & method. Reviewed September 17, 2026. This is a documented overview of publicly available biography, major actions, and stated priorities, not an exhaustive vote-by-vote record. Numerical claims retain their original meaning and attribution. Historical sources do not imply current appointments. The source list provides direct links so readers can check the underlying material. Election lists, filings, and campaign pages may change after this review.
Images. Conservative Ledger masthead supplied by the site creator. Images are published with their credit, licence and source page beneath each one: U.S. Senate (Public domain). No campaign, press-agency or stock photograph is used. Inclusion does not imply campaign authorization or endorsement of this publication.
Where to find the candidate
Every link below was read from the campaign’s own website or the candidate’s official government page. A follower count is printed only where it was measured; otherwise the link is published and the number is left blank rather than guessed at.
Voting in Nebraska: official dates, deadlines and rules
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The dates and rules below were read from the Nebraska Secretary of State; the authority's own page, linked beside each one, is the final word.
Dates and deadlines
- Voter registration deadline — onlineOctober 16, 2026, prior to midnight — last day a voter registration can be completed online. The state's online registration FAQ puts the cutoff at 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
- Voter registration deadline — by mail or at the DMVOctober 16, 2026 — postmark deadline for mailed-in voter registrations. October 16 is also the last day to complete a registration at the DMV, by close of business. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
- Voter registration deadline — in person at the county election officeOctober 23, 2026, at 6 PM — last day for in-person voter registration at the county clerk or election commissioner's office. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
- Early voting ballots ready to be mailedSeptember 28, 2026 — deadline for county election offices to have early voting ballots ready for delivery by mail. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
- In-person early voting startsOctober 5, 2026 — first day for early voting in person at the county clerk or election commissioner office. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
- In-person early voting endsNovember 2, 2026 — last day for early voting in person at the county clerk or election commissioner office. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
- Deadline to request an early voting ballot by mailOctober 23, 2026, at 6 PM — last day for the county election office to receive an application for an early voting ballot to be mailed out. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
- Deadline to return an early voting ballot (received, not postmarked)November 3, 2026, 8 PM CT (7 PM MT) — an early voting ballot returned by mail must be in the possession of the county clerk or election commissioner by then. The same deadline applies to ballots returned in person, by agent or in a secure ballot drop-box. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2026/2026_Election_Calendar.pdf
Rules to know
- What to bringNebraska requires voters to present photo ID. Accepted: Nebraska driver's license or state ID (from the DMV); Nebraska college ID (public or private); Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, public school, etc.); U.S. passport; military ID; tribal ID; or a hospital, assisted-living facility, nursing home, hospice or other listed care-facility record that contains the voter's name and photo. The ID must have your name and photo, and it can be expired. A voter with a reasonable impediment to obtaining photo ID may complete a Reasonable Impediment Certification. The Nebraska DMV issues a free state ID for voting purposes. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/voter-id
- Voting early by mailAny registered voter may request an early voting (absentee) ballot; no reason is required. Send the Early Voting Ballot Application to your county clerk or election commissioner by mail, fax, or an emailed scan or picture of the signed form, with your Nebraska driver's license or state ID number, or a photocopy of other acceptable photo ID or a reasonable impediment certification. The ballot must arrive at the county election office by the close of polls on Election Day — by mail, in person, by agent or in a county drop box — and can be tracked in VoterCheck. Per the Secretary of State's Election Day FAQ, 11 counties conduct all elections by mail and voters there receive ballots automatically: Boone, Cedar, Cherry, Clay, Dawes, Dixon, Garden, Knox, Merrick, Morrill and Stanton. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/elections/early-voting
- Voting early in personEarly in-person voting takes place at your county election office (the county clerk or election commissioner). For the November 3, 2026 general election it runs from October 5 through November 2, 2026, the Monday before Election Day. Present an acceptable photo ID, as at the polls. Office addresses and contact details are in the Secretary of State's county election office directory. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/elections/early-voting
- If you vote without IDA registered voter who arrives without acceptable photo ID may go home to retrieve it and return before the polls close to vote a regular ballot. Otherwise the voter is offered a provisional ballot, which counts only if the voter presents acceptable ID to the county election office, in person, on or before the Tuesday following the election — November 10, 2026, on the state's election calendar. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/voter-id
- Voting after a felony convictionThe Secretary of State states that voting rights are restored upon the completion of incarceration plus any period of parole or probation; the person then needs to submit a new voter registration application. A person convicted of treason must apply for a restoration of civil rights before registering to vote. Read from: sos.nebraska.gov/elections/felon-voting-rights
Read from: 2026 Official Election Calendar, State of Nebraska (Primary Election: May 12, 2026; General Election: November 3, 2026) · 2026 Elections | Nebraska Secretary of State · Registering to Vote | Nebraska Secretary of State · Early Voting | Nebraska Secretary of State · Nebraska Secretary of State Early Voting Ballot Application (Statewide General Election on November 3, 2026; updated July 2026) · Voter ID | Nebraska Secretary of State — Rules and dates as of Sep 17, 2026
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