Politician
Pete Ricketts
Republican · Nebraska · ran 2 times since 2020, won 2 · incumbent
FEC candidate S6NE00129
Pete Ricketts (Republican) raised $15M for the 2026 Nebraska Senate race, $1.9M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $1.2M for and $24M against them (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). They won.
Raised, all runs
$20M
2026, 2024
From PAC checks
16%
$3.3M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$1.2M
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$24M
Spent attacking them
Every run
Each general election, with the money behind it and the result.
| Cycle | Race | Raised | PAC share | Outside for / against | Google ads | All money | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nebraska Senate | $15M | 13% | $1.2M / $24M | $661K | $40M | ✓ Won |
| 2024 | Nebraska Senate (special) | $5.9M | 24% | $14K / $0 | $70K | $5.9M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $965KTrade group $497KLeadership PAC $466KOther $181KMembership $140KParty $62KUnion $23KSuper PAC $16K
- NRSCParty$62K
- Steer PACLeadership PAC$20K
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association Political Action Committee (Ncba-PAC)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$20K
- The Hawkeye PACLeadership PAC$15K
- Alabama First PACLeadership PAC$15K
- National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association RockpacTrade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
- Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka PACCorporate$10K
- Boots Political Action CommitteeLeadership PAC$10K
- Regions Financial Corporation Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- Bunge North America Inc Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- General Dynamics Corporation Political Action Committee (General Dynamics Employee PAC)CorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. Political Action Committee (Insurpac)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- Nebraska Values PACagainst $16M
- Working Class Majority PAC, Incagainst $3.7M
- Freedom From Politicsagainst $2.1M
- The Edge Action Fund (Superpac)against $1.1M
- Retire Career Politiciansagainst $702K
- National Right to Life Victory Fundfor $9K
- National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fundfor $5K
The payback
How they voted on their funders' bills
On the 17 key votes where Pete Ricketts had taken $10K+ from the industry with a stake, they voted the industry's way 14 times (82%). Money is PAC checks plus credited super PAC support across every run since 2020; “with industry” is the vote the industry lobbied for.
| Vote | Industry | Their money from it | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most-favoured-nation drug pricingSenate · 2026 · 49–49 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $88K | Nay · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Apr 2026)Senate · 2026 · 40–59 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $8K | Nay · with industry |
| ACA enhanced premium tax creditsSenate · 2025 · 51–48 | Insurance wanted yea | $69K | Nay · against |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingSenate · 2025 · 49–45 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $90K | Yea · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Jul 2025)Senate · 2025 · 24–73 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $8K | Nay · with industry |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActSenate · 2025 · 50–50 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $90K$392K | Yea · with industryYea · with industry |
| Halve Medicare drug prices (Sanders)Senate · 2025 · 47–53 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $88K | Nay · with industry |
| Strike the AI moratoriumSenate · 2025 · 99–1 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $319K | Yea · against |
| Crypto corruption amendmentSenate · 2025 · 47–53 | Crypto wanted nay | $13K | Nay · with industry |
| GENIUS Act (stablecoins)Senate · 2025 · 68–30 | Crypto wanted yea | $13K | Yea · with industry |
| California clean cars waiver repealSenate · 2025 · 51–44 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $90K | Yea · with industry |
| OCC bank merger rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $392K | Yea · with industry |
| CFPB overdraft rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–48 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $392K | Yea · with industry |
| IRS DeFi broker rule repealSenate · 2025 · 70–28 | Crypto wanted yea | $13K | Yea · with industry |
| Methane waste emissions charge repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $90K | Yea · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Nov 2024)Senate · 2024 · 18–79 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $8K | Nay · with industry |
| SAB 121 repealSenate · 2024 · 60–38 | Crypto wanted yea | $13K | Yea · with industry |
| Joint-employer rule repealSenate · 2024 · 50–48 | Labor unions wanted nay | $31K | Yea · against |
| NDAA FY2024Senate · 2023 · 87–13 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $27K | Yea · with industry |
| Pistol brace rule repealSenate · 2023 · 49–50 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $8K | Yea · with industry |
The revolving door
1 former aide now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Pete Ricketts's office among the government positions they held, and who they now work for. A former staffer gets the meeting.
Samantha BarnettFormer congressional staff
Senate Environment and Public Works, subcommittee staff director; Senate Energy and Natural Resources, Senior Legislative Assistant; Senator Pete Ricketts, L…
Now lobbies for The Lumber Manufactory, INC, Vibrant Planet Pbc · via Capitol Counsel LLC
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Pete Ricketts's 2026 campaign?
- Pete Ricketts (Republican) raised $15M for the 2026 Nebraska Senate race, $1.9M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $1.2M for and $24M against them (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). They won.
- Which PACs gave the most to Pete Ricketts?
- NRSC ($62K), National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association Rockpac ($10K), Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka PAC ($10K), Boots Political Action Committee ($10K), Regions Financial Corporation Political Action Committee ($10K) in 2026.
- Which super PACs spent on Pete Ricketts's race?
- Nebraska Values PAC ($16M against), Working Class Majority PAC, Inc ($3.7M against), Freedom From Politics ($2.1M against) in 2026.
- How much has Pete Ricketts raised across elections?
- $15M in 2026 (Nebraska Senate), $5.9M in 2024 (Nebraska Senate (special)).