2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska

Not to be confused with 2024 Nebraska Senate election.
For related races, see 2024 United States Senate elections. For the simultaneous Class I general election to the next Senate term held in parallel, see 2024 United States Senate election in Nebraska.

2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska
November 5, 2024
 
Nominee Pete Ricketts Preston Love Jr.
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 585,103 349,902
Percentage 62.58% 37.42%
Ricketts:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90%+
Love Jr.:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Tie:      50%
U.S. senator before election

Pete Ricketts[a]
Republican

Elected U.S. senator

Pete Ricketts
Republican

The 2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the Class 2 member of the United States Senate from Nebraska, to complete the term of Ben Sasse, who resigned on January 8, 2023, to become the president of the University of Florida.[1] On January 12, 2023, Governor Jim Pillen appointed Republican former Governor Pete Ricketts to fill the seat until the election.[2] Ricketts won the special election, defeating Democratic nominee Preston Love Jr. with 62.5% of the vote. This was the first time since 1954 where both of Nebraska's U.S. Senate seats were concurrently up for election. Primary elections took place on May 14, 2024.[3]

Ricketts outperformed other Republicans who faced contested statewide elections in this cycle.

Appointment

Republican Pete Ricketts, former governor of Nebraska (2015–2023) and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2006, was appointed on January 12, 2023 by Governor Jim Pillen.[2] Ricketts' appointment was met with controversy as Ricketts had financially supported Pillen's 2022 gubernatorial campaign.[4]

Applied to be appointed

In total, 111 individuals submitted applications for Sasse's seat, and nine candidates were interviewed by Pillen.[5] Applicants included:

Republican primary

Candidates

Endorsements

Pete Ricketts
Organizations
John Glen Weaver
Political parties

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of April 24, 2024
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Pete Ricketts (R) $3,507,567 $2,076,443 $1,431,125
John Glen Weaver (R) $52,789 $36,280 $16,509
Source: Federal Election Commission[17]

Results

Republican primary results[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Ricketts (inc.) 173,118 78.16%
Republican John Glen Weaver 32,529 14.69%
Republican Mac Stevens 13,669 6.17%
Total votes 219,316 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Declined

Endorsements

Preston Love Jr.
State legislators

Party officials

Labor unions

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of April 24, 2024
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Preston Love Jr. (D) $127,850 $119,254 $8,595
Source: Federal Election Commission[17]

Results

Democratic primary results[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Preston Love Jr. 85,114 100.00%
Total votes 85,114 100.00%

General election

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[23] Solid R November 9, 2023
Inside Elections[24] Solid R November 9, 2023
Sabato's Crystal Ball[25] Safe R November 9, 2023
Decision Desk HQ/The Hill[26] Safe R June 8, 2024
Elections Daily[27] Safe R May 4, 2023
CNalysis[28] Solid R November 21, 2023
Split Ticket[29] Safe R October 23, 2024
538[30] Solid R October 23, 2024

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2024
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Pete Ricketts (R) $4,294,715 $2,586,199 $1,708,516
Preston Love Jr. (D) $164,288[b] $157,747 $6,542
Source: Federal Election Commission[17]

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[c] 		Margin
of error 		Pete
Ricketts (R) 		Preston
Love Jr. (D) 		Undecided
Economist/YouGov[31] October 21–28, 2024 1,202 (LV) ± 3.5% 54% 36% 7%
NYT/Siena College[32] October 23–26, 2024 1,194 (LV) ± 3.2% 56% 38% 6%
1,194 (RV) ± 3.1% 56% 37% 7%
SurveyUSA[33][A] October 9–12, 2024 563 (LV) ± 4.7% 53% 37% 9%
SurveyUSA[34][A] September 20–23, 2024 558 (LV) ± 4.8% 53% 35% 12%
SurveyUSA[35][B] August 23–27, 2024 1,293 (RV) ± 3.6% 50% 33% 16%

Results

2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pete Ricketts (inc.) 585,103 62.58% −0.16%
Democratic Preston Love Jr. 349,902 37.42% +12.99%
Majority 235,201 25.16% −13.15%
Total votes 935,005 100.0%
Republican hold

By county

County Pete Ricketts
Republican 		Preston Love Jr.
Democratic 		Total
votes
% # % #
Adams 73.8% 10,438 26.2% 3,715 14,153
Antelope 90.0% 3,066 10.0% 342 3,408
Arthur 93.7% 267 6.3% 18 285
Banner 93.5% 357 6.5% 25 372
Blaine 90.0% 261 10.0% 29 290
Boone 85.9% 2,569 14.1% 423 2,992
Box Butte 79.7% 3,876 20.3% 985 4,861
Boyd 80.4% 849 19.6% 207 1,056
Brown 89.6% 1,467 10.4% 170 1,637
Buffalo 75.4% 17,707 24.6% 5,791 23,498
Burt 75.2% 2,696 24.8% 888 3,584
Butler 83.4% 3,758 16.6% 749 4,507
Cass 70.1% 10,808 29.9% 4,506 15,314
Cedar 87.4% 4,253 12.6% 614 4,867
Chase 91.0% 1,669 9.0% 165 1,834
Cherry 89.7% 2,671 10.3% 306 2,977
Cheyenne 83.4% 3,689 16.6% 733 4,422
Clay 84.5% 2,767 15.5% 506 3,273
Colfax 77.8% 2,713 22.2% 772 3,485
Cuming 84.9% 3,720 15.1% 664 4,384
Custer 89.2% 5,206 10.8% 632 5,838
Dakota 67.2% 5,206 32.8% 1,981 7,187
Dawes 76.8% 2,922 23.2% 884 3,806
Dawson 77.7% 6,579 22.3% 1,887 8,466
Deuel 85.6% 851 14.4% 143 994
Dixon 81.7% 2,314 18.3% 520 2,834
Dodge 69.2% 11,195 30.8% 4,991 16,186
Douglas 47.3% 127,726 52.7% 142,256 269,982
Dundy 91.3% 834 8.7% 79 913
Fillmore 81.4% 2,435 18.6% 557 2,992
Franklin 87.7% 1,395 12.3% 195 1,590
Frontier 88.6% 1,231 11.4% 158 1,389
Furnas 87.2% 2,096 12.8% 308 2,404
Gage 72.1% 7,795 27.9% 3,015 10,810
Garden 88.1% 972 11.9% 131 1,103
Garfield 91.4% 902 8.6% 85 987
Gosper 86.1% 971 13.9% 157 1,128
Grant 96.4% 345 3.6% 13 358
Greeley 86.9% 1,049 13.1% 158 1,207
Hall 72.0% 16,100 28.0% 6,273 22,373
Hamilton 83.2% 4,585 16.8% 927 5,512
Harlan 87.0% 1,558 13.0% 233 1,791
Hayes 95.7% 472 4.3% 21 493
Hitchcock 89.4% 1,271 10.6% 150 1,421
Holt 89.1% 4,818 10.9% 589 5,407
Hooker 88.1% 370 11.9% 50 420
Howard 83.2% 2,925 16.8% 590 3,515
Jefferson 77.4% 2,786 22.6% 813 3,599
Johnson 73.4% 1,556 26.6% 562 2,118
Kearney 82.5% 2,963 17.5% 627 3,590
Keith 84.2% 3,486 15.8% 656 4,142
Keya Paha 93.6% 498 6.4% 34 532
Kimball 85.6% 1,444 14.4% 242 1,686
Knox 84.9% 3,727 15.1% 662 4,389
Lancaster 49.5% 77,189 50.5% 78,598 155,787
Lincoln 79.8% 13,034 20.2% 3,296 16,330
Logan 94.3% 417 5.7% 25 442
Loup 85.0% 364 15.0% 64 432
Madison 80.2% 12,376 19.8% 3,054 15,430
McPherson 96.1% 268 3.9% 11 279
Merrick 84.8% 3,645 15.2% 654 4,299
Morrill 86.0% 2,047 14.0% 332 2,379
Nance 82.8% 1,473 17.2% 306 1,779
Nemaha 74.1% 2,490 25.9% 869 3,359
Nuckolls 85.2% 1,894 14.8% 328 2,222
Otoe 71.0% 5,717 29.0% 2,331 8,048
Pawnee 79.3% 1,078 20.7% 282 1,360
Perkins 88.8% 1,247 11.2% 158 1,405
Phelps 86.7% 4,283 13.3% 657 4,940
Pierce 89.7% 3,471 10.3% 398 3,869
Platte 81.9% 12,709 18.1% 2,818 15,527
Polk 84.0% 2,360 16.0% 448 2,808
Red Willow 74.5% 3,919 25.5% 1,338 5,257
Richardson 77.9% 2,980 22.1% 847 3,827
Rock 92.1% 745 7.9% 64 809
Saline 68.3% 3,809 31.7% 1,765 5,574
Sarpy 58.4% 57,907 41.6% 41,332 99,239
Saunders 75.7% 10,081 24.3% 3,240 4,321
Scotts Bluff 75.8% 11,302 24.2% 3,599 14,901
Seward 76.4% 6,981 23.6% 2,157 9,138
Sheridan 86.9% 2,123 13.1% 319 2,442
Sherman 82.7% 1,367 17.3% 286 1,653
Sioux 91.1% 612 8.9% 60 672
Stanton 85.3% 2,599 14.7% 447 3,046
Thayer 84.1% 2,384 15.9% 452 2,836
Thomas 89.4% 346 10.6% 41 387
Thurston 59.9% 1,234 40.1% 825 2,059
Valley 85.8% 1,935 14.2% 321 2,256
Washington 73.8% 9,145 26.2% 3,239 12,384
Wayne 77.9% 3,160 22.1% 894 4,054
Webster 84.9% 1,477 15.1% 262 1,739
Wheeler 89.5% 419 10.5% 49 468
York 79.1% 5,470 20.9% 1,448 6,918
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

By congressional district

Ricketts won all three congressional districts.[37]

District Ricketts Love Jr. Representative
1st 59% 41% Mike Flood
2nd 50.2% 49.8% Don Bacon
3rd 79% 21% Adrian Smith

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In January 2023, Ricketts was appointed by Governor Jim Pillen to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Ben Sasse, who had become the president of University of Florida.
  2. ^ $58,832 of this total was self-funded by Love Jr.
  3. ^ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

Partisan clients

  1. ^ a b Poll sponsored by the campaign of Dan Osborn, an independent candidate for Nebraska's other Senate seat
  2. ^ Poll sponsored by Split Ticket

References

  1. ^ a b Hammel, Paul (December 5, 2022). "Ben Sasse makes it official, will resign U.S. Senate seat Jan. 8". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Bradner, Eric (January 12, 2023). "Nebraska Gov. Pillen appoints Pete Ricketts to Sasse's Senate seat". CNN.
  3. ^ "2024 State Primary Election Dates". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Sanderford, Aaron (January 12, 2023). "Pillen, as expected, taps former Gov. Pete Ricketts to succeed Sasse in Senate • Nebraska Examiner". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Stoddard, Martha; Bamer, Erin (January 12, 2023). "Pillen appoints former Gov. Pete Ricketts to U.S. Senate". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  6. ^ Hammel, Paul (December 12, 2022). "Democrat Ann Ashford is among applicants to fill vacancy in U.S. Senate". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e Sanderford, Aaron (January 10, 2023). "Ricketts, Lindstrom, Dinsdale, Slone, Ashford among Nebraska U.S. Senate applicants". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  8. ^ Mastre, Brian (December 15, 2022). "Nebraska Senate candidates feeling optimistic as Pillen mulls appointment". WOWT. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  9. ^ KRVN News (December 7, 2022). "West-central Nebraska journalist applies for U.S. Senate seat". KRVN. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Everett, Burgess (January 12, 2023). "Ricketts tapped to fill Nebraska's open Senate seat". Politico. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  11. ^ "Nebraska Statewide Candidate List". Nebraska Secretary of State. January 5, 2024.
  12. ^ "Lt. Col. (ret.) John Glen Weaver running for Nebraska's open Class II U.S. Senate seat". Nebraska Television Network. February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Emilee (July 19, 2023). "Americans for Prosperity Action Announces First Wave of Endorsements in 2024 U.S. Senate Races". Americans for Prosperity Action. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  14. ^ NRA-PVF. "NRA-PVF | Grades | Nebraska". NRA-PVF. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "Ricketts Endorsed by Nebraska Farm Bureau". KRVN. February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Sanderford, Aaron (January 27, 2024). "Nebraska GOP fight with delegation spills over into its endorsements". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "2024 Election United States Senate - Nebraska". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Evnen, Robert B. (2024). The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Official Report, Primary Election, May 14, 2024 (PDF).
  19. ^ Sanderford, Aaron (January 11, 2023). "Democrat Preston Love, a North Omaha advocate, to run for U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts' seat". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  20. ^ Sanderford, Aaron (July 14, 2023). "Democrat Paul Theobald decides not to challenge Sen. Pete Ricketts; Republican Herbster still mulling his options". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Beck, Margery A. (January 17, 2024). "Nebraska Democrats back Omaha activist Preston Love Jr. to challenge Ricketts for US Senate seat". Midland Daily News. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  22. ^ "Our Recommended Candidates". Education Votes. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  23. ^ "2024 Senate Race ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  24. ^ "Senate Ratings". Inside Elections. January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  25. ^ "2024 Senate". Sabato's Crystal Ball. January 24, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  26. ^ "2024 Senate prediction map". elections2024.thehill.com/. The Hill. June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  27. ^ "Election Ratings". Elections Daily. August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  28. ^ "'24 Senate Forecast". CNalysis. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  29. ^ "2024 Senate Forecast". Split Ticket. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  30. ^ "2024 Election Forecast". FiveThirtyEight. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  31. ^ Economist/YouGov
  32. ^ NYT/Siena College
  33. ^ SurveyUSA
  34. ^ SurveyUSA
  35. ^ SurveyUSA
  36. ^ Evnen, Robert B. (2024). The Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, Official Report, General Election, November 5, 2024 (PDF).
  37. ^ https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::9de1188c-2169-4c5a-a4f3-76179d22b279

Official campaign websites

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.