2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska

← 2000 November 7, 2006 2012 →

Nominee Ben Nelson Pete Ricketts Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 378,388 213,928 Percentage 63.88% 36.12%

County results Precinct results Nelson:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Ricketts:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Tie:     40–50%     50%     No data

U.S. senator before election Ben Nelson Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Ben Nelson Democratic

The2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 7, 2006. IncumbentDemocratBen Nelson won re-election to a second term, easily defeatingRepublicanPete Ricketts. Nelson won 63.9% of the vote to Ricketts's 36.1%. Ricketts was later appointed in January 2023 to Nebraska's other Senate seat after serving asGovernor of Nebraska from 2015 to 2023.

This was one of five Democratic-held Senate seats up for election in a state thatGeorge W. Bush won in the2004 presidential election.

As of 2026, this remains the last time Democrats won any statewide election in Nebraska. This was the first election since1978 that the winner was of a different party than the concurrent gubernatorial election.

• Ben Nelson, incumbent U.S. Senator

• Pete Ricketts, former COO ofTD Ameritrade
• Don Stenberg, formerAttorney General of Nebraska and nominee for the U.S. Senate in2000
• David J. Kramer, Former Chairman of theNebraska Republican Party

Since Ricketts was a millionaire, he could finance his own campaign. His opponents could not raise enough money to keep up. Kramer raised $330,000 and Stenberg raised $246,000 in 2005.^{[citation needed]}

• Ben Nelson (D), incumbent U.S. Senator
• Pete Ricketts (R), former COO ofTD Ameritrade

The primary election was held May 9, 2006. Pete Ricketts won the Republican nomination with 48% of the vote. Ben Nelson was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Nelson was elected in 2000 by a margin of 51% to 49% after serving as the state's governor for two terms. Nelson, considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, was the lone Democrat in Nebraska's Congressional delegation. This election was one of the most expensive in Nebraska history. In 2005, Ben Nelson raised $3.9 million for his re-election campaign.Pete Ricketts contributed $14.35 million of his own money to his campaign; he raised an additional $485,000 in contributions. The race also attracted national attention and generated several high-level campaign appearances. PresidentGeorge W. Bush appeared at a rally for Ricketts on November 5, 2006, inGrand Island, while then-U.S. SenatorBarack Obama appeared at a fundraiser for Nelson and other Nebraska Democrats on May 5, 2006, inOmaha. However, he won re-election by a large margin.^{[citation needed]}

From CNN^[14]

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

^[15][16]

• 2006 United States Senate elections

• Ben Nelson for U.S. Senate (Not Active)
• Pete Ricketts for U.S. Senate (Inactive)

• 2006 United States Senate elections
• United States Senate elections in Nebraska
• 2006 Nebraska elections
• Ricketts family

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