Pete Ricketts

Ricketts was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and raised in Omaha; his father was an entrepreneur and his mother a school teacher. He graduated from Westside High School in Omaha.⁠[1]

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago.⁠[1]

After graduate school, Ricketts returned to Omaha and worked for Union PacificUnion PacificUnion Pacific Corporation is an Omaha-based U.S. railroad holding company whose Union Pacific Railroad runs freight trains in 23 western states. In 2025 it agreed to merge with Norfolk Southern.Open the full entry, then joined his family’s business, which later became Ameritrade, as a customer service representative. At Ameritrade he served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Senior Vice President of Product Development, Senior Vice President of Marketing, and President and Chief Operating Officer.⁠[1]

The Ricketts family founded the company that became TD Ameritrade and sold it in 2020.⁠[2]

He founded Drakon, LLC, which supports Nebraska entrepreneurs and startups, and is a past member of the boards of directors of TD Ameritrade and the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team in the National League Central Division, playing at Wrigley Field on Chicago’s North Side. Originally known as the White Stockings, the club joined the National League as a charter member in 1876 and is the only team from its inaugural season still playing in its original city. The Cubs name became official in 1907. The franchise has won 17 National League pennants and three World Series titles, in 1907, 1908 and 2016. The 2016 championship ended a 108-year World Series title drought. The Ricketts family has held a controlling interest since 2009.Open the full entry.⁠[1]

In 2006, Ricketts ran as the Republican candidate against Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Nelson and lost by nearly 28 percentage points.⁠[2]

Ricketts was sworn in as Nebraska’s 40th governor on January 8, 2015, was re-elected in November 2018, and served until 2023.⁠[1][2]

During his governorship, Nebraska eliminated state taxes on veterans’ retirement income starting in 2022 and on Social Security benefits by 2025. Ricketts has said he worked with the Legislature on more than $12.7 billion in tax relief through 2027, including more than $10 billion in property tax relief.⁠[1]

Nebraska won the Governor’s Cup for the most economic development projects per capita three years in a row, from 2016 to 2018. President Donald Trump appointed him to the Council of Governors and the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.⁠[1]

After U.S. Senator Ben Sasse resigned to become president of the University of Florida, Nebraska Governor Jim PillenJim PillenJim Pillen is an American Republican politician, veterinarian and agricultural businessman who founded Pillen Family Farms and has served as governor of Nebraska since January 2023. He was re-elected in November 2026.Open the full entry appointed Ricketts to the seat in 2023.⁠[3]

Ricketts was sworn in as a U.S. senator on January 23, 2023, and serves on the Environment and Public Works; Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and Budget committees.⁠[1]

In November 2024, Ricketts defeated Preston Love Jr. in a special election to complete the remainder of Sasse’s term.⁠[3][2]

In the summer of 2025, Ricketts voted for President Trump’s budget and tax bill, which he called the largest tax cut in American history.⁠[3]

In September 2025, Ricketts launched his re-election campaign for a first full six-year term at R&R Realty Group in Omaha, followed by a three-day statewide tour with stops including Kearney, North Platte, Scottsbluff, Norfolk, and Beatrice. He said, “Conservative leadership matters.”⁠[3]

Donald Trump and the Nebraska Farm Bureau endorsed Ricketts’s re-election bid.⁠[2]

On May 12, 2026, Ricketts won the Republican U.S. Senate primary over Todd Knobel, Mac Stevens, Debb Schultz, and Eric Mortimore, with 78% of early ballots in unofficial results; the Associated Press called the race about 20 minutes after polls closed. He said afterward, “This is just one step. We’re moving on to the general election right now.”⁠[4]

The November 3, 2026 general election ballot for the U.S. Senate listed Ricketts, Democratic primary winner Cindy Burbank, Mike Marvin of the Legal Marijuana Now Party, and nonpartisan candidate Dan Osborn.⁠[5]

At 3:27 a.m. EST on November 4 the Associated Press declared that Ricketts had won re-election, defeating independent Dan Osborn.⁠[6]

In his 2026 campaign, Ricketts said he supports rural and agricultural interests through the Farm Bill and renewable fuels, promotes tax relief including the “Working Families Tax Cuts,” and emphasizes opposing Chinese influence and border security.⁠[2]

He proposed a Republican bill limiting congressional stock trading, saying, “No lawmaker should ever profit from insider information.”⁠[2]

Office of Senator Pete Ricketts: Official website: https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1]

X: Public account: https://x.com/SenatorRicketts (opens in a new window).⁠[1]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SenatorRicketts (opens in a new window).⁠[1]