Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts Wins Nebraska Primary for Full Senate Term

Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts moved closer to a full six-year Senate term after winning renomination in Nebraska's primary.

Ricketts, appointed in 2023 to replace Ben Sasse and victorious in a 2024 special election to complete Sasse's final two years, beat four GOP primary challengers on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

He advances to the autumn midterm elections for a contest against independent Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and military veteran who challenged Republican Sen. Deb Fischer in her 2024 re-election.

The primary came with less than six months before the midterms, when Republicans seek to retain their narrow House majority and slim Senate edge while Democrats aim to regain power.

The Nebraska Democratic Party backs Osborn in the general election, but community college instructor Cindy Burbank and pastor Bill Forbes competed for the Democrats' nomination.

Both were late entrants. Some Nebraska Democrats accused Forbes of entering to ensure a Democratic candidate on the November ballot and draw votes from Osborn to aid Ricketts.

Forbes denied the claims. Burbank said she joined the race to block Forbes from the ballot.

Ricketts, eldest son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, co-owns Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs with family members.

He served as Nebraska governor, winning election in 2014 and re-election in 2018. One week after his second term ended, successor Gov. Jim Pillen appointed him to the Senate.

Nonpartisan political handicappers rate Nebraska's Senate general election as likely Republican.