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 County results Congressional district results Precinct resultsRicketts: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90%+ Love Jr.: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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The2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska was held on November 5, 2024, to elect theClass 2 member of theUnited States Senate fromNebraska, to complete the term ofBen Sasse, who resigned on January 8, 2023, to become the president of theUniversity of Florida.[1] On January 12, 2023, GovernorJim Pillen appointedRepublican former GovernorPete Ricketts to fill the seat until the election.[2] Ricketts won the special election, defeating Democratic nomineePreston Love Jr. with 62.5% of the vote. This was the first time since1954 where both of Nebraska's U.S. Senate seats were concurrently up for election. Primary elections took place on May 14, 2024.[3]
Rickettsoutperformed other Republicans who faced contested statewide elections in this cycle.
RepublicanPete Ricketts, formergovernor of Nebraska (2015–2023) and nominee for the U.S. Senate in2006, 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]
In total, 111 individuals submitted applications for Sasse's seat, and nine candidates were interviewed by Pillen.[5] Applicants included:
| 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] | |||
| 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% | ||
Party officials
Labor unions
| 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] | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Preston Love Jr. | 85,114 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 85,114 | 100.00% | ||
| 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 |
| 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] | |||
| 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% |
| 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% | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
| 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 |
| Democratic Hold Gain from Republican | Republican Hold |
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 |
Partisan clients
Official campaign websites
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