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Pete Ricketts

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Pete Ricketts
Official portrait, 2023
United States Senator
from Nebraska
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 12, 2023
Serving with Deb Fischer
Appointed byJim Pillen
Preceded byBen Sasse
40th Governor of Nebraska
In office
January 8, 2015 – January 5, 2023
LieutenantMike Foley
Preceded byDave Heineman
Succeeded byJim Pillen
Chair of the Republican Governors Association
In office
November 19, 2021 – November 17, 2022
Serving with Doug Ducey
Preceded byDoug Ducey
Succeeded byKim Reynolds
In office
November 29, 2018 – November 21, 2019
Preceded byBill Haslam
Succeeded byGreg Abbott
Personal details
Born
John Peter Ricketts

(1964-08-19) August 19, 1964 (age 60)
Nebraska City, Nebraska, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Susanne Shore
​
(m. 1997)​
Children3
ParentJoe Ricketts (father)
RelativesThomas S. Ricketts (brother)
Laura Ricketts (sister)
Todd Ricketts (brother)
EducationUniversity of Chicago (BA, MBA)
Awards2016 World Series champion
WebsiteSenate website
Pete Ricketts's voice
Pete Ricketts questions witnesses on Chinese-Latin American trade relations
Recorded March 15, 2023

John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Nebraska since 2023.[1] A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 40th governor of Nebraska from 2015 to 2023.

Ricketts is the eldest son of Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He is also, with other family members, a part owner of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs.[2] Ricketts unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006, losing to incumbent Ben Nelson. He ran for governor of Nebraska in 2014, and after narrowly winning the six-way Republican primary, defeated Democratic Party nominee Chuck Hassebrook, 57% to 39%. He was reelected in 2018, defeating Democratic nominee Bob Krist, 59% to 41%. As governor, Ricketts approved various budgets and tax cuts. He was also a firm supporter of capital punishment, and in 2018 the state carried out its first execution since 1997.

Ricketts left office after his second term as governor expired on January 5, 2023; several days later he was appointed to the U.S. Senate by his gubernatorial successor, Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy created when Ben Sasse resigned to become president of the University of Florida.[3] Ricketts was elected to complete Sasse's term in the 2024 special election, in which he faced Democratic nominee Preston Love Jr. He has announced he intends to seek a full Senate term in 2026.[1][4]

Early life

[edit]

Ricketts was born in Nebraska City on August 19, 1964, the oldest of four children of Joe Ricketts and Marlene (Volkmer) Ricketts. The family later moved to Omaha. Joe Ricketts founded First Omaha Securities in 1975, one of the first discount stockbrokers in the United States. It prospered, changing its name to Ameritrade, going public in 1997, and changing its name to TD Ameritrade after acquiring TD Waterhouse in 2006.[5][6][7][8] Marlene was a teacher.

Ricketts and his siblings, Tom, Laura, and Todd, all attended Westside High School in Omaha, from which Ricketts graduated in 1982. He attended the University of Chicago, receiving a BA in biology in 1986 and an MBA in marketing and finance in 1991.[5][6][7][9][10]

Business career

[edit]

After completing graduate school, Ricketts returned to Omaha. He worked for the Union Pacific Railroad for a year, then as a salesman for a Chicago environmental consultant. In 1993, he went to work for his father's business, initially in the call center for a few months, and subsequently appointed by his father to a number of executive positions, ultimately becoming the company's chief operating officer during his father's tenure as CEO. In a 2006 report, he stated his net worth at between $45 million and $50 million.[11][12][13]

Ricketts in 2013

In 1997, Ricketts married Susanne Shore. A native of Garden City, Kansas, Shore grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and earned a bachelor's degree in English and then an MBA from Oklahoma State University. After a stint working for the dean of students at the University of South Dakota, she came to Omaha to complete a one-year course in nursing at Creighton University. At the time of her marriage to Ricketts, she was working as a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Omaha. Ricketts and Shore have three children.[14][15]

In 2006, Ricketts left Ameritrade to run for the U.S. Senate. After his loss to incumbent Ben Nelson, he returned to the company's board, remaining until the Ricketts family relinquished its board seats in 2016.[12][16]

In 2007, Ricketts co-founded, and became director and president of the Platte Institute for Economic Research, which he called a "free market think tank",[17] and which Nebraska newspapers have called "conservative".[12][18] He resigned from the organization in 2013 to concentrate on his 2014 gubernatorial campaign. From 2007 to 2012, Ricketts was a national committeeman for the Republican National Committee; from 2007 to 2013, he was a trustee of the American Enterprise Institute.[18][19]

Sports

[edit]

In 2009, the Ricketts family trust bought the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB) from Tribune Media. Ricketts stepped down from the Cubs' board of directors in 2019 to focus on being governor.[20]

World Series champion

[edit]

As part owner of the Cubs, Ricketts has a 2016 World Series title to his credit, as they won the championship that year, defeating the Cleveland Indians.[2][6][21][22]

Governor of Nebraska (2015–2023)

[edit]
Ricketts campaigning for governor with a crowd of supporters, July 2014

Elections

[edit]

2014

[edit]
Main article: 2014 Nebraska gubernatorial election
Final results by county
Final results by county in 2014:
  Pete Ricketts
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%
  Chuck Hassebrook
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%

In the 2014 election, Ricketts ran for the Nebraska governorship. The incumbent, Dave Heineman, was barred by Nebraska's term-limits law from running for reelection.[23] Two candidates considered strong contenders for the Republican nomination withdrew by early 2013: Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy, who was embroiled in a scandal; and Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood, whose wife had been diagnosed with cancer.[24] Ricketts officially joined the race in September 2013, at which point he and state auditor Mike Foley were regarded as the front-runners in a race that also included State Senators Charlie Janssen, Beau McCoy, and Tom Carlson.[25] In February 2014, Janssen withdrew,[26] and Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning declared his candidacy. Despite his late entrance, Bruning supplanted Ricketts as the perceived front-runner.[27]

Ricketts won the May 2014 primary with 26.6% of the vote to Bruning's 25.5%, McCoy's 20.9%, Foley's 19.2%, Carlson's 4.1%, and Omaha attorney Bryan Slone's 3.7%.[28] In the general election, Ricketts faced Chuck Hassebrook, who had run unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Hassebrook was a former member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and former director of the Center for Rural Affairs, which calls itself "a leading nonprofit organization with a national reputation for progressive rural advocacy and policy work".[29][30] Ricketts advocated tax reductions; Hassebrook argued that Ricketts's proposed cuts would primarily benefit the rich and deprive the state of funds for what he called needed public services. Ricketts opposed the proposed expansion of Medicaid under the provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Hassebrook favored the expansion. Ricketts opposed an increase in the state's minimum wage; Hassebrook supported it.[29]

Over the course of the general-election campaign, Ricketts outspent Hassebrook by a considerable margin. In the last spending report filed before the election, he stated that he had loaned his campaign $930,000, and that the organization had spent about $6 million. Hassebrook reported expenditures of slightly more than $2.5 million.[31]

In the general election, Ricketts received 57.1% of the vote to Hassebrook's 39.2%. Libertarian Mark G. Elworth Jr. received 3.5%, and write-in votes accounted for 0.1%.[32]

2018

[edit]
Main article: 2018 Nebraska gubernatorial election
Final results by county
Final results by county in 2018:
  Pete Ricketts
  •   >90%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   50–60%

On June 5, 2017, Ricketts announced his candidacy for reelection. During his speech, he said "lowering property taxes" would be his main concern if he were reelected. He also asked Nebraskans to "rehire" Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley.[33] Ricketts was reelected on November 6 with 59.0%[34] of the vote.

Tenure

[edit]

Ricketts was inaugurated as the 40th governor of Nebraska at the Nebraska State Capitol on January 8, 2015.[35][36][37]

2015 session

[edit]

Among the "most significant"[38] actions the legislature took in its 2015 session were three bills that passed over Ricketts's veto. LB268 repealed the state's death penalty; LB623 reversed the state's previous policy of denying driver's licenses to people who were living illegally in the U.S. after being brought to the country as children, and who had been granted exemption from deportation under the Barack Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program; and LB610 increased the tax on gasoline to pay for repairs to roads and bridges.[38][39][40]

After Ricketts's veto of the death-penalty repeal was overridden, capital-punishment proponents launched a petition drive to reverse the legislature's action. Their efforts gathered enough signatures to suspend the repeal until a public vote could be held. Capital-punishment opponents then filed a lawsuit arguing that the petition should be invalidated on the grounds that Ricketts, who had contributed $200,000 to the campaign, was "the primary initiating force" for the petition drive and should have been included in the list of sponsors required by Nebraska law.[41][42] In February 2016, a Lancaster County district judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Ricketts's financial support of the petition effort did not ipso facto make him a sponsor.[43][44][45] The plaintiffs appealed the issue to the Nebraska Supreme Court, which upheld the district court's dismissal.[46][47] The referendum was held in the 2016 general election and the death penalty was retained with 61.2% of the vote.[48][49]

2016 session

[edit]

In its 2016 session, the legislature passed three bills that Ricketts vetoed. LB580 would have created an independent commission of citizens to draw new district maps following censuses; supporters described it as an attempt to depoliticize the redistricting process, while Ricketts maintained that the bill delegated the legislature's constitutional duty of redistricting to "an unelected and unaccountable board". The bill's sponsor, John Murante, opted not to seek an override of the veto.[50][51][52] A second vetoed bill, LB935, would have changed state audit procedures; it passed by a margin of 37–8, with 4 present and not voting. The bill was withdrawn without an attempt to override the veto; the state auditor agreed to work with Ricketts on a new version for the next year's session.[50][53] A third bill, LB947, made DACA beneficiaries eligible for commercial and professional licenses in Nebraska. The bill passed the legislature on a vote of 33–11–5; the veto override passed 31–13–5.[54][55]

At the 2016 Republican state convention, Ricketts denounced several legislators who had failed to support his and the party's positions on various bills, and called for the election of more "platform Republicans" to the officially nonpartisan legislature. In response to this, 13 legislators, including five registered Republicans, released a statement in which they accused Ricketts of placing partisanship above principle. One of the signers of the statement, Laura Ebke, changed her registration from Republican to Libertarian shortly thereafter, citing Ricketts's speech as one of the factors that drove her to make the change.[56][57][58]

2017 session

[edit]
Ricketts speaking at CPAC, February 2017

In its 2017 session, the Ricketts administration merged two agencies. The Department of Transportation was formed from the merging of the Department of Roads and Department of Aeronautics. This merger was led by Senator Friesen. Senator Murante led the merger of the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Division of Veterans' Homes into the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. Ricketts signed both merger bills into law in the spring of 2017.[citation needed]

Ricketts signed various bills designed to strengthen Nebraska communities. LB 518 created various grants to counties to construct workforce housing. The legislature also passed 2 anti-abortion bills, the first in his tenure. LB46 created a "Choose Life" license plate, and LB506 provided information about perinatal hospice care to pregnant women diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly.[citation needed]

2018 session

[edit]
Ricketts speaking at CPAC, February 2018

In the start of the 2018 to 2019 biannual session, Ricketts highlighted various bills as his key priorities. In 2018, he signed LB 1040, which creates commemorative certificates of nonviable birth for miscarriages. Ricketts said this bill "affirms the pre-born baby's dignity, [and] it also provides closure to mothers, fathers, and families who are grappling with the pain and heartache of losing a child." Ricketts also signed various property and tax relief bills during the session. He vetoed a notable bill, LB350, which would have allowed felons to petition a court to set aside their convictions after serving their sentences.[59] Ricketts said, "This bill sends the wrong message to victims of crime and society. It represents poor public policy."[citation needed]

2019 session

[edit]
Ricketts with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in 2019

During the legislature's 2019 session, Ricketts approved various budgets and tax cuts. LB 103 stopped automatic property tax increases. Ricketts also spearheaded the project to increase the Property Tax Credit Relief Fund by $51 million for a total of $550 million in direct property tax relief from 2019 to 2021. He merged two state agencies, the Department of Environment and the Department of Energy, into one, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.[citation needed]

2020 session

[edit]

In 2020, Ricketts signed numerous laws passed by the legislature, including property and veterans tax relief bills, dismemberment abortion bans, and flood and pandemic relief. In 2020, Ricketts made some workforce reforms, providing a new partnership between Peru State College and the Nebraska Department of Corrections, to provide a path for students to go from the classroom into the corrections workforce. He also signed an infrastructure bill, funding repair of the Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation Canal after it collapsed in 2019.[citation needed]

COVID-19 pandemic

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska

In June 2020, Ricketts threatened to withhold $100 million in federal COVID-19 relief if local governments in Nebraska required people who entered courthouses and other local government offices to wear face masks.[60] Health experts and authorities had recommended face masks as an effective way to halt the virus's spread.[60]

In October 2021, Ricketts ordered Nebraska state agencies not to comply with the federal government's vaccine requirements for employees.[61][62]

2021 session

[edit]
Ricketts during a meeting in 2021

Ricketts called the 2021 session "historic", as it fulfilled multiple priorities he highlighted in his January 2021 State of the State address. These included property and veterans tax relief, broadband infrastructure, and locking in the state's budget. The session limited budget growth to 2.4% annually. Ricketts's veterans tax relief program gave Nebraska veterans a 100% exemption on military retirement benefits. Ricketts signed legislation to support military spouses licensed in another state to obtain teaching permits after moving to Nebraska. He signed into law a bill that gives private schools $3 million in funding for textbook loans and $1 billion to support public K-12 education. Ricketts also passed career scholarship reform, giving public, private, and community colleges and universities state scholarship support.[citation needed]

2022 session

[edit]

After the 2022 legislative session, Ricketts praised the senators for passing legislation on his priorities. The legislature authorized construction of a canal to protect Nebraska's legal entitlement to South Platte River flowing into the state from Colorado. Ricketts also signed bills to further develop Nebraska's water infrastructure, construct new marinas at Lake McConaughy and Lewis and Clark Lake, and create a 3,600-acre reservoir between Lincoln and Omaha.[citation needed]

U.S. Senate (2023–present)

[edit]

2006 election

[edit]
Main article: 2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska
Final results by county
Final results by county in 2006:
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  Pete Ricketts
  •   50–60%

Ricketts was the 2006 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Ben Nelson. His opponents in the primary were former Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg and former state Republican chairman David Kramer. Ricketts spent nearly $5 million of his own money, outspending his opponents 10–1 in winning the nomination.[63]

Ricketts received some high-profile campaign assistance, most notably from President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Bush appeared at a campaign rally for Ricketts on November 5, 2006, just days before the election, in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Ricketts ran on a conservative platform, emphasizing fiscal responsibility,[64] immigration reform,[65] and agriculture,[66] as well as championing a socially conservative platform opposing same-sex marriage[67] and abortion.[68] In all, he contributed $11,302,078 of his own money to his campaign, triggering the Millionaire's Amendment, which allowed his opponent to raise larger amounts from each donor.[69][70] He spent more money than any Senate candidate in Nebraska history,[71] but lost to Nelson by a margin of 36%–64%.[72]

Appointment

[edit]

On January 8, 2023, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse resigned to become president of the University of Florida.[73] On January 12, Jim Pillen, who had succeeded Ricketts as governor one week earlier, appointed Ricketts to the Senate. Ricketts's appointment was controversial, as he had financially supported Pillen's 2022 gubernatorial campaign. Pillen denied this had any role in his decision to appoint Ricketts.[3] Ricketts was sworn in on January 23, 2023.[74] Upon his appointment to the Senate, he announced that he would run in the 2024 special election to serve the remaining two years of Sasse's term.[75]

2024 election

[edit]
Main article: 2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska

Ricketts is running in the special election to complete the remainder of Sasse's term.[76] He faces Democratic nominee Preston Love Jr.[77]

Tenure

[edit]

Ricketts was sworn in as Nebraska's junior U.S. senator by Vice President Kamala Harris on January 23, 2023.[75][78]

Committees

[edit]
Ricketts with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron in December 2023

The first three pieces of legislation Ricketts co-sponsored in the Senate were bills to permanently prohibit federal funding for abortion, make it a federal crime for physicians to perform an abortion on a minor from another state without parental consent, and reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for abortion drugs.[81]

In March 2023, Ricketts and fellow Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer visited the U.S.-Mexico border.[82] Ricketts criticized President Joe Biden for what he viewed as Biden's failures to address the border security crisis.[83] Ricketts views border security as crucial to addressing the ongoing drug crisis.[84] He has also co-sponsored legislation to create federal felony murder charges for drug dealers who distribute fentanyl that leads to an overdose death.[85]

On the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ricketts has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for "fumbled diplomacy" and called for a tougher stance against adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, Iran, and Russia.[86][87] Ricketts is a vocal supporter of the U.S.-Israel alliance.[88]

Ricketts was the first member of his freshman class to deliver his maiden speech on March 29, 2023. In it, he focused on his belief that "Nebraska is what America is supposed to be" and highlighted his view that Washington D.C. can follow Nebraska's example in running its operations.[89]

Political positions

[edit]

Abortion

[edit]

Ricketts supports a total ban of abortion, with no exceptions for rape or incest.[90]

Affirmative action

[edit]

Before becoming governor, Ricketts supported an initiative to ban affirmative action in Nebraska, donating $15,000 to a group behind the effort.[91]

Critical race theory

[edit]

In 2021, Ricketts said he opposed critical race theory. Asked to explain what critical race theory was, Ricketts said it was "one that really starts creating those divisions between us about defining who we are based on race and that sort of thing and really not about how to bring us together as Americans rather than—and dividing us and also having a lot of very socialist-type ideas about how that would be implemented in our state." Ricketts also called it "Marxist" and "really un-American."[92]

Death penalty

[edit]

Ricketts supports the death penalty. In 2015, he vetoed a bill to abolish capital punishment in Nebraska, but the legislature overrode his veto. In 2016, Ricketts spent part of his family fortune to finance a referendum to reinstate capital punishment in the state. The referendum passed, and in 2018 the state executed Carey Dean Moore, the first inmate put to death in the state in 21 years. Ricketts, a Catholic, rebuffed calls from the Catholic Church to halt executions.[93][94]

Donald Trump

[edit]

Ricketts criticized the impeachment of Donald Trump over his request that Ukraine start an investigation into his political rival Joe Biden. Ricketts said the impeachment proceedings were a "partisan impeachment parade" and praised the Senate for acquitting Trump.[95]

Cannabis

[edit]

Ricketts opposes legalization of medicinal cannabis. In 2019, he said that its "medicinal value has not been tested", and cited studies suggesting that cannabis adversely affects brain functions. He also pointed to overdoses of the synthetic cannabinoid K2 as a "reminder of how dangerous cannabis can be".[96] In 2021, while the Nebraska legislature was contemplating legalizing medical cannabis, he claimed, "If you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids. That’s what the data shows from around the country."[97]

Environment

[edit]

Ricketts opposed the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[98] He supported the Keystone XL Pipeline, saying it would "create jobs here in Nebraska, lots of tax revenues here in Nebraska, of course help us become less dependent on foreign oil."[99]

In 2021, Ricketts said he opposed a proposal by President Joe Biden to preserve 30% of the nation's land and water by 2030, calling it a "radical climate agenda."[100]

In the Senate, Ricketts serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. He has been a vocal critic of what he calls "detached from reality" mandates from the Biden administration.[101] Ricketts has also opposed Biden's efforts to expand the definition of the Waters of the U.S. rule and has opposed "new proposed vehicle emissions regulations, which were designed to increase sales of electric vehicles."[102]

Political contributions

[edit]

In July 2022, Ricketts contributed $250,000 to a political action committee created to oppose the U.S. Senate campaign of Eric Greitens in advance of Missouri's August primary election.[103]

Second Amendment

[edit]

As governor, Ricketts designated Nebraska as a "sanctuary state" for the Second Amendment.[104] He believes mental illness causes most mass shootings[105] and has been critical of Biden's support for gun control.[106]

Economy

[edit]

Ricketts is a proponent of fiscal conservatism and tax cuts. He signed legislation providing $12.7 billion in tax relief as governor of Nebraska.[107] Ricketts was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.[108]

Personal life

[edit]

Ricketts is Catholic and is a member of the Knights of Columbus and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.[19]

Electoral history

[edit]

2006 election

[edit]
2006 U.S. Senate primary election results, Nebraska[109]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Ricketts 129,643 48.14
Republican Don Stenberg 96,496 35.83
Republican David J. Kramer 43,185 16.03
Total votes 269,324 100.00
2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska[110]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Ben Nelson (incumbent) 378,388 63.88% +12.88%
Republican Pete Ricketts 213,928 36.12% −12.70%
Total votes 590,961 100.00% N/A
Democratic hold

2014 election

[edit]
Nebraska gubernatorial Republican primary, 2014[111]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Ricketts 57,936 26.48
Republican Jon Bruning 55,761 25.49
Republican Beau McCoy 45,820 20.94
Republican Mike Foley 42,039 19.22
Republican Tom Carlson 9,036 4.13
Republican Bryan Slone 8,179 3.74
Total votes 218,771 100
2014 Nebraska gubernatorial election[112]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pete Ricketts 308,751 57.15% −16.75%
Democratic Chuck Hassebrook 211,905 39.23% +13.13%
Libertarian Mark Elworth 19,001 3.52% N/A
n/a Write-ins 545 0.10% N/A
Total votes 540,202 100.0% N/A
Republican hold

2018 election

[edit]
Nebraska gubernatorial Republican primary, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Ricketts (incumbent) 138,292 81.42
Republican Krystal Gabel 31,568 18.58
Total votes 169,860 100.00
2018 Nebraska gubernatorial election[113]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pete Ricketts (incumbent) 411,812 59.00% +1.85%
Democratic Bob Krist 286,169 41.00% +1.77%
Total votes 697,981 100.00% N/A
Republican hold

2024 election

[edit]
2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pete Ricketts (incumbent) 585,103 62.58% −0.16%
Democratic Preston Love Jr. 349,902 37.42% +12.99%
Total votes 935,005 100.00% N/A
Republican hold

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Everett, Burgess (January 12, 2023). "Ricketts tapped to fill Nebraska's open Senate seat". Politico.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023. Ricketts will come in as a the[sic] most junior member of the chamber when he is sworn in on Jan. 23.
  2. ^ a b columnist, Matthew Hansen / World-Herald. "After 'roller coaster of emotion,' Pete Ricketts still processing Cubs' World Series win". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Walton, Don (January 12, 2023). "Former Gov. Ricketts will fill Nebraska's Senate seat". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  4. ^ Sanderford, Aaron (January 24, 2023). "New U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts is sworn in, casts first vote on ceremonial first day". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Governor Pete Ricketts". National Governors Association. Archived from the original April 20, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Smith, Bryan. "The Ricketts Family Owns the Chicago Cubs: Who Are These People?". Chicago. June 24, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Reingold, Jennifer (September 21, 2012). "Joe Ricketts: The new billionaire political activist". Fortune. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  8. ^ Hauser, Jeanne (October 31, 2016). "Timeline: Milestones in TD Ameritrade history". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  9. ^ Rendell, Aren (January 23, 2015). "Q&A with Governor of Nebraska and Westside alum Pete Ricketts". Westside Wired. Archived from original March 15, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  10. ^ Greenberg, Jon. "Here's the pitch". University of Chicago Magazine. July–August 2010. Archived from original November 7, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  11. ^ "About Governor Pete Ricketts". Office of Governor Pete Ricketts. Archived from original June 25, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c Duggan, Joe (October 19, 2014). "After failed tuneup in 2006, Pete Ricketts says he's road-tested and ready to lead". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  13. ^ Cordes, Henry J. (March 24, 2014). "Pete Ricketts traded business world for politics". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  14. ^ Cordes, Henry J. (February 9, 2015). "Nebraska, meet your new First Lady". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  15. ^ Moore, Kathryn Cates (February 14, 2015). "Balancing family, new role are priorities for first lady Susanne Shore". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  16. ^ Hubbard, Russell (December 5, 2013). "End of an era: Ricketts family members to relinquish TD Ameritrade board seats in 2016". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  17. ^ "Platte Institute Unveiled". Platte Institute. Archived from original June 2, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  18. ^ a b O'Hanlon, Kevin (January 1, 2014). "Report criticizes conservative Nebraska think tank". Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  19. ^ a b 2016–17 Nebraska Blue Book" Archived July 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, p. 418. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  20. ^ Hammel, Paul (April 15, 2022). "Ricketts family, other investors drop bid for English soccer club owned by Russian oligarch". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  21. ^ "Front Office Directory". That's Cub (official Chicago Cubs website). Archived from original Archived June 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine June 24, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  22. ^ Washburn, Olivia. "Partial owner of Chicago Cubs, Governor Pete Ricketts, brings World Series trophy to Westside". Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  23. ^ Tobias, Mike (September 19, 2013). "2014 Shaping Up As A Chaotic Election Year In Nebraska". Archived November 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine NET (Nebraska PBS and NPR system). Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  24. ^ "Nebraska Governor's Race: What's Next?". Archived October 10, 2018, at the Wayback Machine WOWT News. February 3, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  25. ^ Walton, Don (September 8, 2013). "Ricketts looks forward to changing skeptics' minds". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  26. ^ Tsyver, Robynn (February 3, 2014). "Charlie Janssen abandons his bid for governor". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  27. ^ Tsyver, Robynn (February 9, 2014). "Attorney General Jon Bruning to run for Nebraska governor". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 20,
  28. ^ "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: Primary Election, May 13, 2014". Archived November 8, 2018, at the Wayback Machine pp. 19–20. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  29. ^ a b Knapp, Fred (May 14, 2014). "Ricketts, Hassebrook Offer Contrasts In Race For Governor". NET (Nebraska PBS and NPR system). Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  30. ^ Francis, Casey (November 2, 2015). "Are you ready to work for rural America?" Archived September 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Center for Rural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  31. ^ Quinlan, Mary Kay (November 2, 2014). "Campaign spending climbs for statewide executive branch races". Archived October 10, 2018, at the Wayback Machine KRVN radio. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  32. ^ "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: General Election, November 4, 2014". pp. 13–14. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  33. ^ writers, Susan Szalewski and Kevin Cole / World-Herald staff. "Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announces re-election bid, says he'll focus on lowering property taxes". Omaha.com. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
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  56. ^ Szalewski, Susan. "Responding to Ricketts' 'platform Republicans' comment, 13 Nebraska lawmakers call for nonpartisanship". Omaha World-Herald. June 1, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  57. ^ Duggan, Joe. "'Frustrated' State Sen. Laura Ebke switches from Republican to Libertarian". Omaha World-Herald. June 1, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
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  61. ^ "Gov. Pete Ricketts prohibits Nebraska agencies from complying with vaccine mandate". KETV. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  62. ^ "Gov. Ricketts bars state agencies from complying with President Biden's vaccine mandate". KHGI. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
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  65. ^ Gonzalez, Cindy (October 13, 2006). "Ricketts criticized for immigrant idea". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on April 22, 2005. Retrieved October 13, 2006.
  66. ^ Walton, Don (March 2, 2006). "Ricketts proposes new agricultural savings accounts". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved October 13, 2006.
  67. ^ Norman, Andrew. "GOP The Prelims: Candidates Spar Over the Details". The Reader. Retrieved October 13, 2006.
  68. ^ Walton, Don (September 19, 2006). "Ricketts pokes Nelson's pro-life credentials". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved October 13, 2006.
  69. ^ Bratton, Anna Jo. "Ricketts' bid for office hits nearly $10M out of pocket". Columbus Telegram. Retrieved October 13, 2006.
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  81. ^ "Sen. Ricketts co-sponsors pro-life legislation". central.newschannelnebraska.com. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  82. ^ "Nebraska senators cite Biden's failure to secure U.S. Mexico border during visit". KLKN-TV. March 5, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
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  88. ^ Ricketts, Pete (July 27, 2023). "It was a pleasure to hear from Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Washington last week. I'm disgusted by radical Democrats in Congress who have called Israel a "racist state." America is proud to stand with Israel!". Twitter. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
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[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Nebraska
(Class 1)
2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Nebraska
2014, 2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Republican Governors Association
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Republican Governors Association
2021–2022
Served alongside: Doug Ducey 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Nebraska
(Class 2)
2024 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Nebraska
2015–2023 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Nebraska
2023–present
Served alongside: Deb Fischer 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas United States Senator from Oklahoma Order of precedence of the United States
as United States Senator from Nebraska
since January 23, 2023 		Succeeded byas United States Senator from New Jersey
Preceded by United States senators by seniority
98th 		Succeeded by
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