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GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts won reelection
November 4, 2026
CBS News reports that GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts won reelection in the Nebraska Senate race, CBS News projects, fending off a challenge from independent Dan Osborn.
New York Post reports that Ricketts, the 62-year-old son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, was appointed to the Senate in January 2023 by Gov. Jim Pillen tofill out the term of Ben Sasse, who resigned after the 2022 midterms to lead the University of Florida — with Ricketts taking the job one week after the end of his own eight-year stretch as Nebraska’s governor. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) won a full six-year term November 3 following a hotly contested campaign against nominally independent candidate Dan Osborn in the reliably GOP state. Osborn, a pipe fitter, was one of multiple independent Senate candidates running this year in traditionally Republican states, NBC News reports.
CBS News reports that GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts won reelection in the Nebraska Senate race, CBS News projects, fending off a challenge from independent Dan Osborn.
According to NBC News, Ricketts said, “Democrat Dan is too extreme, and he would be the most extreme senator we’ve ever sent to the U.S. Senate from Nebraska”.
New York Post reports that Ricketts, the 62-year-old son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, was appointed to the Senate in January 2023 by Gov. Jim Pillen tofill out the term of Ben Sasse, who resigned after the 2022 midterms to lead the University of Florida — with Ricketts taking the job one week after the end of his own eight-year stretch as Nebraska’s governor. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) won a full six-year term November 3 following a hotly contested campaign against nominally independent candidate Dan Osborn in the reliably GOP state. Osborn, a pipe fitter, was one of multiple independent Senate candidates running this year in traditionally Republican states, NBC News reports. Osborn had the added advantage of a one-on-one race against Ricketts after the Democratic nominee ended her campaign in July. According to NBC News, he had stressed that he would not caucus with either party if he were elected, but he did have the backing of the Nebraska Democratic Party. NBC News reports that Osborn faced an onslaught of attacks accusing him of being a secret Democrat. Ricketts, 62, is a former Nebraska governor who was appointed to the Senate in 2023, CBS News reports. The sharp attacks underscored the tougher-than-expected nature of the race in a state Donald Trump won by 20 points in 2024, NBC News reports. NBC News reports that the same year, Ricketts won a special election to serve the final two years of GOP former Sen. Ben Sasse’s term by 25 percentage points. Nebraskans haven't elected a candidate who wasn't a Republican since 2006, CBS News reports. CBS News reports that but with a large share of nonpartisan voters and an unfavorable environment for the GOP amid the unpopular war with Iran and high gas and diesel prices, the race proved to be. But Osborn, an Independent who came within 7 percentage points of Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) in 2024’s race, put up another tough fight in the Cornhusker State, where Republicans have dominated the congressional delegation and governorship for decades, The Hill reports. Mr. Ricketts comes from a powerful family in Nebraska politics, The New York Times and NYT report. According to NBC News, Osborn said, “People like us are tired of people in rooms like this calling the shots”. Trump officially reopens Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on eve of midterm elections, PBS reports. ABC listen Home, ABC News (Australia) reports.
According to NBC News, Ricketts said, “Democrat Dan is too extreme, and he would be the most extreme senator we’ve ever sent to the U.S. Senate from Nebraska”.
Ricketts
Still developing
CBS News reports that Nebraskans haven't elected a candidate who wasn't a Republican since 2006. CBS News reports that but with a large share of nonpartisan voters and an unfavorable environment for the GOP amid the unpopular war with Iran and high gas and diesel prices, the race proved to be. Osborn had the added advantage of a one-on-one race against Ricketts after the Democratic nominee ended her campaign in July, NBC News reports.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- NBC News — GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts fends off independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska Senate race
- New York Post — Pete Ricketts wins Nebraska Senate race, making Dan Osborn two-time loser - New York Post
- CBS News — Pete Ricketts wins Nebraska 2026 Senate election, CBS News projects - CBS News
- PBS — Live Results: Pete Ricketts wins Nebraska Senate election | PBS News
- The Hill — Pete Ricketts wins reelection in Nebraska Senate race, defeating Dan Osborn
- The New York Times — Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska Fends Off an Independent Challenger - The New York Times
- abc.net.au — 'The end of the Trump era': Americans have their say in the midterms - ABC listen
Toggle read the full reports of 7 of the 9 outlets counted on this event. The other 2 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.