Pete Ricketts

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Nebraskans bucked the national trend, voting to keep Republican Pete Ricketts in the U.S. Senate for another term.

The former governor of Nebraska kept out of the spotlight until the end of Republican festivities late Tuesday as the margin between him and Independent challenger Dan Osborn remained close.

Later counts put Ricketts more solidly ahead, and the AP called the race for him at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The incoming Senate won’t look the same: Several previously solid GOP strongholds flipped blue, particularly in Texas, South Carolina, and Maine.

Update as of 2:41 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Editor’s note: All election totals are “unofficial” until the votes are certified by the Nebraska Secretary of State.

Nebraska’s Senate race was one the whole country has been watching as Ricketts took his turn against Independent Dan Osborn - but not before a bit of drama unfolded on the Democrats’ side of the ticket.

After winning the primary in May, Cindy Burbank filed to remove herself from the General Election ballot. That action prompted a lawsuit from the candidate she defeated as reports surfaced that she had paid the filing fee for the Legal Marijuana NOW candidate for Senate.

In 2024, Osborn proved a tough competitor for Deb Fischer, nearly toppling Nebraska’s longtime senior senator. It was a close race, but Nebraska’s senior senator held on to the seat — and Osborn remained determined.

This year, challenged Ricketts in a race close enough to bring President Trump and Vice President Vance out to central Nebraska to offer their personal endorsements.

Ricketts ran for re-election after fulfilling his first elected term. Nebraska’s junior senator was initially appointed to the seat by his gubernatorial successor, Gov. Jim Pillen, shortly after he took office. Ricketts served out the rest of Ben Sasse’s term after he left office halfway through to become president of the University of Florida.

The race — officially underway for more than a year — saw a few dramatic twists and turns along the way, from the Democratic primary winner withdrawing from the race to leaked audio recordings.

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