Pete Ricketts To Fill Nebraska Senate Seat!

Sen-designate Pete Ricketts (R-NE) (left) with Gov. Jim Pillen.

The guy who said that a woman should carry her rapist's baby is the senate-designate for Nebraska.

Former Nebraska governor Pete Ricketts (R-NE) is going to finish the term of former senator Ben Sasse. The new governor of Nebraska did a quid pro quo when it came to the selection of a replacement.

Born John P. Ricketts, he is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Nebraska from 2015 to 2023. He is the son of Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He is part owner of the Chicago Cubs along with several of his family members.

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced he will pick Ricketts to fill the term. It is likely Ricketts will run for reelection.

Pillen and Ricketts appeared together at a joint news conference at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, where Pillen described the selection of Ricketts as “very, very obvious.”

Sasse officially resigned on Sunday to become the president of the University of Florida, a job he will begin next month.

Ricketts’ support in last year’s Republican gubernatorial primary helped Pillen emerge at the top of a packed GOP field. Pillen took office last week.

He said Ricketts was “committed to the long haul” to attempting to keep the seat.

“I don’t believe in placeholders. I believe that every day matters,” Pillen said.

Ricketts ran for Senate in 2006 and lost to conservative Democrat Ben Nelson.

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.

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, immigration reform, and agriculture, as well as championing a socially conservative platform opposing same-sex marriage and abortion. 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. He spent more money than any Senate candidate in Nebraska history, but lost to Nelson by a margin of 36%–64%.

Ricketts will be sworn in late January. 

Currently the Democrats control the Senate. They have 48 senators and three independents who caucus with them. Republicans have 49 senators. 

Democrats have 51 seats to Republicans 49 seats.