Why Nebraska Republicans say they want to reelect Sen. Pete Ricketts

Editor’s note: The Examiner talked to Dan Osborn supporters at a July rally.

WEEPING WATER — Some of the roughly 1,000 people who showed up for Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts’ annual steak fry said they’ll vote for him this November because he shares their conservative values.

Ricketts and Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy — along with other elected Nebraska Republican officials – sought Sunday to energize Republican voters to turn out this November, pointing to the tax cuts in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill, Republicans’ efforts to secure the southern border and Ricketts’ record as governor.

The former Nebraska governor is seeking his first full six-year term in the Senate after winning in 2024 to serve out the term of former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., who resigned to lead the University of Florida. Ricketts is in a heated race with nonpartisan candidate Dan Osborn, which has drawn national attention for its nontraditional political dynamics. 

Ricketts supporters who spoke to the Examiner said they want to send him back to Washington, D.C., because he has responded to their needs and his opponent is “ultra-liberal.” 

Erich Tiemann, chairperson of the Gage County Board of Supervisors, said Ricketts continues to be as responsive as a U.S. senator as he was as governor. Tiemann said Ricketts always checks in and stays engaged, asking what needs to be done for the state.

“It’s unbelievable,” Tiemann, 48, said. “Here’s somebody that doesn’t need a job by any means, and he cares about us in so many different ways and works for us.” 

Ricketts served two terms as governor from 2015 to 2023. During his tenure, he reshaped the Legislature and state law. He pressed for passage of tax and spending cuts, managed the COVID-19 pandemic and focused on improving the efficiency of state agencies, efforts he has since tried bringing to Washington, D.C., and the federal government.  

Bob Rose, a 74-year-old Scottsbluff resident, said he doesn’t agree with Ricketts on everything, but he thinks the former governor has worked diligently for Nebraska. 

“(Ricketts) has conservative values that I greatly value,” Rose said. “I’m terrified of the craziness that the far left is trying to bring across the country, and so when I have an opportunity to vote for a conservative over an ultra-liberal, I’m going to do it.” 

When asked for some things he disagrees with Ricketts on, Ross didn’t provide specifics but said it was “very few things.” He also said he doesn’t like some of Ricketts’ “tactics” every once in a while. 

Ricketts is a force in state politics; his endorsements and opposition carry weight, having helped elect a governor and flip legislative seats. He has Nebraska’s dominant political operation behind him, known for its no-holds-barred approach to campaigning.

Skip McPheron, a 70-year-old Wymore resident, said Ricketts may come from a wealthy family, but he is approachable.

“He’s just like the carpenter that lives next door to you,” McPheron said. 

He added that Ricketts is effective and gets things done. Nina Head, a 71-year-old Elkhorn resident, said she is supporting Ricketts because he has done so much for the state and the nation, pointing to his time as governor and adding that she loves Ricketts dearly. 

Head called Ricketts’ opponent a “wacko.” 

Ricketts and National Republicans have been relentless in painting Osborn as a “secret ” Democrat. Osborn has been dealing with leaked audio of comments he has made throughout the campaign. 

The audio leaks have included Osborn saying he would be “f—ed” as a candidate if he said that he wanted to “abolish ICE” or that President Donald Trump’s border wall is “a symbol of racism” that “does nothing.”

The most recent leak has him talking about why he thinks some Nebraskans voted for Trump. Osborn later apologized to anyone offended by those comments. 

The former labor leader said some of the other leaks are taken out of context. Ricketts and other speakers Sunday pointed to those audio leaks as examples of Osborn being dishonest to voters. 

“[Osborn] is not the moderate independent that he claims to be … this guy is a fake,” Ricketts told the crowd. “Those liberal donors want a senator from California or New York. … Folks, I will always be a senator for Nebraska.” 

Nebraska was Kennedy’s last stop on a campaign blitz to red states with “close” races. He also went to Iowa and Kansas. He told D.C. reporters he believes that the GOP will win those races, but they “oughta be fat-guy layups for us.” 

The Osborn campaign released a statement about the steak fry, saying that national Republicans are “panicking” and “their only solution is to pour over $10 million to run attack ads because they have nothing nice to say about Pete. The billionaire Epstein Class are terrified of losing one of their own.” 

“Dan looks forward to working with Sen. John Kennedy come January,” the end of the statement reads. 

The general election is Nov. 3.