Pete ricketts biography

American politician (born 1964)

John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American businessman and legislator serving as the juniorUnited States political boss from Nebraska since 2023.^[1] A 1 of the Republican Party, he served as the 40th governor of Nebraska from 2015 to 2023.

Ricketts equitable the eldest son of Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He crack also, with other family members, neat part owner of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs.^[2] Ricketts unsuccessfully ran go all-out for the U.S. Senate in 2006, disappearance to incumbent Ben Nelson. He ran for governor of Nebraska in 2014, and after narrowly winning the six-way Republican primary, defeated Democratic Party aspirant Chuck Hassebrook, 57% to 39%. Purify was reelected in 2018, defeating Self-governing nominee Bob Krist, 59% to 41%. As governor, Ricketts approved various budgets and tax cuts. He was along with a firm supporter of capital discriminating, and in 2018 the state humbug out its first execution since 1997.

Ricketts left office after his secondly term as governor expired on Jan 5, 2023; a week later prohibited was appointed to the U.S. Ruling body by his gubernatorial successor, Jim Pillen, to fill the vacancy created while in the manner tha Ben Sasse resigned to become director of the University of Florida.^[3] Yes was elected to complete Sasse's honour in the 2024 special election, defeating Democratic nominee Preston Love Jr., 63% to 37%.^[4] Ricketts has announced forbidden intends to seek a full Mother of parliaments term in 2026.^[1][5]

Early life

Ricketts was aborigine in Nebraska City on August 19, 1964, the oldest of four descendants of Joe Ricketts and Marlene (Volkmer) Ricketts. The family later moved surrounding Omaha. Joe Ricketts founded First City Securities in 1975, one of rank first discount stockbrokers in the Collective States. It prospered, changing its nickname to Ameritrade, going public in 1997, and changing its name to TD Ameritrade after acquiring TD Waterhouse donation 2006.^[6][7][8][9] Marlene was a teacher.

Ricketts and his siblings, Tom, Laura, point of view Todd, all attended Westside High Kindergarten in Omaha, from which Ricketts calibrated in 1982. He attended the Establishing of Chicago, receiving a BA disturb biology in 1986 and an MBA in marketing and finance in 1991.^{[6][7][8][11]}

Business career

After completing graduate school, Ricketts requited to Omaha. He worked for class Union Pacific Railroad for a yr, then as a salesman for orderly Chicago environmental consultant. In 1993, unquestionable went to work for his father's business, initially in the call spirit for a few months, and in short appointed by his father to smashing number of executive positions, ultimately comely the company's chief operating officer at near his father's tenure as CEO. Sky a 2006 report, he stated king net worth at between $45 million paramount $50 million.^[12][13][14]

In 1997, Ricketts married Susanne Get. A native of Garden City, River, Shore grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and earned a bachelor's degree generate English and then an MBA take from Oklahoma State University. After a term working for the dean of session at the University of South Siouan, she came to Omaha to full a one-year course in nursing win Creighton University. At the time be partial to her marriage to Ricketts, she was working as a nurse at Refuse. Joseph's Hospital in Omaha. Ricketts keep from Shore have three children.^[15][16]

In 2006, Ricketts left Ameritrade to run for depiction U.S. Senate. After his loss sort out incumbent Ben Nelson, he returned outdo the company's board, remaining until integrity Ricketts family relinquished its board seating in 2016.^[13][17]

In 2007, Ricketts co-founded, dominant became director and president of prestige Platte Institute for Economic Research, which he called a "free market deem tank",^[18] and which Nebraska newspapers own called "conservative".^[13][19] He resigned from influence organization in 2013 to concentrate perceive his 2014 gubernatorial campaign. From 2007 to 2012, Ricketts was a ceremonial committeeman for the Republican National Committee; from 2007 to 2013, he was a trustee of the American Plan Institute.^[19][20]

Sports

In 2009, the Ricketts family give bought the Chicago Cubs of Vital League Baseball (MLB) from Tribune Public relations. Ricketts stepped down from the Cubs' board of directors in 2019 knock off focus on being governor.^[21]

World Series champion

As part owner of the Cubs, Ricketts has a 2016 World Series baptize to his credit, as they won the championship that year, defeating prestige Cleveland Indians.^{[2][7][22][23]}

Governor of Nebraska (2015–2023)

Elections

2014

Main article: 2014 Nebraska gubernatorial election

In the 2014 election, Ricketts ran for the Nebraska governorship. The incumbent, Dave Heineman, was barred by Nebraska's term-limits law expend running for reelection.^[24] Two candidates thoughtful strong contenders for the Republican proposal withdrew by early 2013: Lieutenant Director Rick Sheehy, who was embroiled encumber a scandal; and Speaker of excellence Legislature Mike Flood, whose wife challenging been diagnosed with cancer.^[25] Ricketts formally joined the race in September 2013, at which point he and submit auditor Mike Foley were regarded tempt the front-runners in a race become absent-minded also included State Senators Charlie Janssen, Beau McCoy, and Tom Carlson.^[26] Decline February 2014, Janssen withdrew,^[27] and Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning declared government candidacy. Despite his late entrance, Bruning supplanted Ricketts as the perceived front-runner.^[28]

Ricketts won the May 2014 primary run off with 26.6% of the vote to Bruning's 25.5%, McCoy's 20.9%, Foley's 19.2%, Carlson's 4.1%, and Omaha attorney Bryan Slone's 3.7%.^[29] In the general election, Ricketts faced Chuck Hassebrook, who had foothold unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Hassebrook was a former member of greatness University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and former director of the Soul for Rural Affairs, which calls upturn "a leading nonprofit organization with keen national reputation for progressive rural prayer and policy work".^[30][31] Ricketts advocated toll reductions; Hassebrook argued that Ricketts's outlook cuts would primarily benefit the profuse and deprive the state of bear witness to for what he called needed the upper classes services. Ricketts opposed the proposed increase of Medicaid under the provisions taste the 2010 Patient Protection and Lowcost Care Act; Hassebrook favored the revisit. Ricketts opposed an increase in leadership state's minimum wage; Hassebrook supported it.^[30]

Over the course of the general-election operations, Ricketts outspent Hassebrook by a substantial margin. In the last spending statement filed before the election, he avowed that he had loaned his cause $930,000, and that the organization challenging spent about $6 million. Hassebrook widely known expenditures of slightly more than $2.5 million.^[32]

In the general election, Ricketts standard 57.1% of the vote to Hassebrook's 39.2%. Libertarian Mark G. Elworth Jr. received 3.5%, and write-in votes believed for 0.1%.^[33]

2018

Main article: 2018 Nebraska top dog election

On June 5, 2017, Ricketts declared his candidacy for reelection. During reward speech, he said "lowering property taxes" would be his main concern conj admitting he were reelected. He also on purpose Nebraskans to "rehire" Lieutenant Governor Microphone Foley.^[34] Ricketts was reelected on Nov 6 with 59.0%^[35] of the show of hands.

Tenure

Ricketts was inaugurated as the Ordinal governor of Nebraska at the Nebraska State Capitol on January 8, 2015.^[36][37][38]

2015 session

Among the "most significant"^[39] actions leadership legislature took in its 2015 term were three bills that passed chill Ricketts's veto. LB268 repealed the state's death penalty; LB623 reversed the state's previous policy of denying driver's licenses to people who were living lawlessly in the U.S. after being corruption lie down to the country as children, have a word with who had been granted exemption overexert deportation under the Barack Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program; and LB610 increased the levy on gasoline to pay for repairs to roads and bridges.^[39][40][41]

After Ricketts's stop of the death-penalty repeal was overridden, capital-punishment proponents launched a petition circle to reverse the legislature's action. Their efforts gathered enough signatures to put the repeal until a public ballot could be held. Capital-punishment opponents commit fraud filed a lawsuit arguing that nobility petition should be invalidated on nobility grounds that Ricketts, who had volitional $200,000 to the campaign, was "the primary initiating force" for the entreat drive and should have been star in the list of sponsors obligatory by Nebraska law.^[42][43] In February 2016, a Lancaster County district judge fired the lawsuit, ruling that Ricketts's capital support of the petition effort exact not ipso facto make him pure sponsor.^[44][45][46] The plaintiffs appealed the dash to the Nebraska Supreme Court, which upheld the district court's dismissal.^[47][48] Illustriousness referendum was held in the 2016 general election and the death punishment was retained with 61.2% of honesty vote.^[49][50]

2016 session

In its 2016 session, description legislature passed three bills that Ricketts vetoed. LB580 would have created young adult independent commission of citizens to get new district maps following censuses; influential described it as an attempt call by depoliticize the redistricting process, while Ricketts maintained that the bill delegated depiction legislature's constitutional duty of redistricting tutorial "an unelected and unaccountable board". Picture bill's sponsor, John Murante, opted gather together to seek an override of excellence veto.^[51][52][53] A second vetoed bill, LB935, would have changed state audit procedures; it passed by a margin objection 37–8, with 4 present and arrange voting. The bill was withdrawn needy an attempt to override the veto; the state auditor agreed to pierce with Ricketts on a new model for the next year's session.^[51][54] Straight third bill, LB947, made DACA beneficiaries eligible for commercial and professional licenses in Nebraska. The bill passed nobleness legislature on a vote of 33–11–5; the veto override passed 31–13–5.^[55][56]

At magnanimity 2016 Republican state convention, Ricketts denounced several legislators who had failed match support his and the party's positions on various bills, and called request the election of more "platform Republicans" to the officially nonpartisan legislature. Pierce response to this, 13 legislators, counting five registered Republicans, released a lead into in which they accused Ricketts accomplish placing partisanship above principle. One deduction the signers of the statement, Laura Ebke, changed her registration from River to Libertarian shortly thereafter, citing Ricketts's speech as one of the experience that drove her to make glory change.^[57][58][59]

2017 session

In its 2017 session, authority Ricketts administration merged two agencies. Loftiness Department of Transportation was formed the merging of the Department cataclysm Roads and Department of Aeronautics. That merger was led by Senator Friesen. Senator Murante led the merger take up the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Communications and the Division of Veterans' Accommodation into the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. Ricketts signed both merger currency into law in the spring appreciate 2017.^{[citation needed]}

Ricketts signed various bills prearranged to strengthen Nebraska communities. LB 518 created various grants to counties interruption construct workforce housing. The legislature besides passed 2 anti-abortion bills, the rule in his tenure. LB46 created uncut "Choose Life" license plate, and LB506 provided information about perinatal hospice danger signal to pregnant women diagnosed with undiluted lethal fetal anomaly.^{[citation needed]}

2018 session

In blue blood the gentry start of the 2018 to 2019 biannual session, Ricketts highlighted various medium of exchange as his key priorities. In 2018, he signed LB 1040, which builds commemorative certificates of nonviable birth safe miscarriages. Ricketts said this bill "affirms the pre-born baby's dignity, [and] be a success also provides closure to mothers, fathers, and families who are grappling trade the pain and heartache of failure a child." Ricketts also signed several property and tax relief bills nigh the session. He vetoed a foremost bill, LB350, which would have lawful felons to petition a court do set aside their convictions after service their sentences.^[60] Ricketts said, "This tally sends the wrong message to casualties of crime and society. It represents poor public policy."^{[citation needed]}

2019 session

During probity legislature's 2019 session, Ricketts approved diverse budgets and tax cuts. LB 103 stopped automatic property tax increases. Ricketts also spearheaded the project to grow the Property Tax Credit Relief Stock by $51 million for a accurate of $550 million in direct chattels tax relief from 2019 to 2021. He merged two state agencies, loftiness Department of Environment and the Wing of Energy, into one, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.^{[citation needed]}

2020 session

In 2020, Ricketts signed numerous order passed by the legislature, including assets and veterans tax relief bills, torturing abortion bans, and flood and international relief. In 2020, Ricketts made untainted workforce reforms, providing a new practice between Peru State College and rank Nebraska Department of Corrections, to sheep a path for students to be in motion from the classroom into the corrections workforce. He also signed an inferior bill, funding repair of the Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation Canal after it on the ground in 2019.^{[citation needed]}

COVID-19 pandemic

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska

In June 2020, Ricketts threatened to withhold $100 million reside in federal COVID-19 relief if local governments in Nebraska required people who entered courthouses and other local government task to wear face masks.^[61] Health experts and authorities had recommended face masks as an effective way to nevertheless the virus's spread.^[61]

In October 2021, Ricketts ordered Nebraska state agencies not nominate comply with the federal government's obstacle requirements for employees.^[62][63]

2021 session

Ricketts called probity 2021 session "historic", as it size multiple priorities he highlighted in potentate January 2021 State of the Nation address. These included property and veterans tax relief, broadband infrastructure, and dead bolt in the state's budget. The concern limited budget growth to 2.4% yearly. Ricketts's veterans tax relief program gave Nebraska veterans a 100% exemption engorge military retirement benefits. Ricketts signed codification to support military spouses licensed carry another state to obtain teaching permits after moving to Nebraska. He shipshape into law a bill that gives private schools $3 million in relief for textbook loans and $1 hundred to support public K-12 education. Ricketts also passed career scholarship reform, discordant public, private, and community colleges forward universities state scholarship support.^{[citation needed]}

2022 session

After the 2022 legislative session, Ricketts hero the senators for passing legislation clash his priorities. The legislature authorized paraphrase of a canal to protect Nebraska's legal entitlement to South Platte Row flowing into the state from River. Ricketts also signed bills to other develop Nebraska's water infrastructure, construct recent marinas at Lake McConaughy and Explorer and Clark Lake, and create dexterous 3,600-acre reservoir between Lincoln and Omaha.^{[citation needed]}

U.S. Senate (2023–present)

2006 election

Main article: 2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska

Ricketts was the 2006 Republican nominee request the U.S. Senate seat held overtake Democrat Ben Nelson. His opponents critical the primary were former Nebraska Lawyer GeneralDon Stenberg and former state Autonomous chairman David Kramer. Ricketts spent just about $5 million of his own strapped, outspending his opponents 10–1 in win the nomination.^[64]

Ricketts received some high-profile initiative assistance, most notably from President Martyr W. Bush and Vice President Nvestigator Cheney. Bush appeared at a appeal rally for Ricketts on November 5, 2006, just days before the discretion, in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Ricketts ran on a conservative platform, emphasizing budgetary responsibility,^[65]immigration reform,^[66] and agriculture,^[67] as spasm as championing a socially conservative stadium opposing same-sex marriage^[68] and abortion.^[69] Look onto all, he contributed $11,302,078 of circlet own money to his campaign, triggering the Millionaire's Amendment, which allowed culminate opponent to raise larger amounts plant each donor.^[70][71] He spent more strapped for cash than any Senate candidate in Nebraska history,^[72] but lost to Nelson wishy-washy a margin of 36%–64%.^[73]

Appointment

On January 8, 2023, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse enduring to become president of the Institution of higher education of Florida.^[74] On January 12, Jim Pillen, who had succeeded Ricketts chimp governor one week earlier, appointed Ricketts to the Senate. Ricketts's appointment was controversial, as he had financially wiry Pillen's 2022 gubernatorial campaign. Pillen denied this had any role in dominion decision to appoint Ricketts.^[3] Ricketts was sworn in on January 23, 2023.^[75] Upon his appointment to the Board, he announced that he would speed up in the 2024 special election health check serve the remaining two years break into Sasse's term.^[76]

2024 election

Main article: 2024 Concerted States Senate special election in Nebraska

Ricketts is running in the special purpose to complete the remainder of Sasse's term.^[77] He faces Democratic nominee Preston Love Jr.^[78]

Tenure

Ricketts was sworn in variety Nebraska's junior U.S. senator by Corruption President Kamala Harris on January 23, 2023.^[76][79]

Committees

The first three pieces of government Ricketts co-sponsored in the Senate were bills to permanently prohibit federal aid for abortion, make it a federated crime for physicians to perform be over abortion on a minor from in relation to state without parental consent, and reimburse the in-person dispensing requirement for failure drugs.^[82]

In March 2023, Ricketts and corollary Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer visited significance U.S.-Mexico border.^[83] Ricketts criticized President Joe Biden for what he viewed sort Biden's failures to address the contour security crisis.^[84] Ricketts views border consolation as crucial to addressing the unending drug crisis.^[85] He has also co-sponsored legislation to create federal felony regicide charges for drug dealers who organize fentanyl that leads to an exceed death.^[86]

On the Senate Foreign Relations Commission, Ricketts has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for "fumbled diplomacy" and christened for a tougher stance against adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, Persia, and Russia.^[87][88] Ricketts is a immediate supporter of the U.S.-Israel alliance.^[89]

Ricketts was the first member of his greenhorn class to deliver his maiden discourse on March 29, 2023. In side, he focused on his belief avoid "Nebraska is what America is presupposed to be" and highlighted his idea that Washington D.C. can follow Nebraska's example in running its operations.^[90]

Political positions

Abortion

Ricketts supports a total ban of failure, with no exceptions for rape up in the air incest.^[91]

Affirmative action

Before becoming governor, Ricketts endorsed an initiative to ban affirmative sparkle in Nebraska, donating $15,000 to adroit group behind the effort.^[92]

Critical race theory

In 2021, Ricketts said he opposed faultfinding race theory. Asked to explain what critical race theory was, Ricketts blunt it was "one that really by degrees creating those divisions between us upturn defining who we are based frame race and that sort of power and really not about how hopefulness bring us together as Americans somewhat than—and dividing us and also receipt a lot of very socialist-type content 2 about how that would be enforced in our state." Ricketts also cryed it "Marxist" and "really un-American."^[93]

Death penalty

Ricketts supports the death penalty. In 2015, he vetoed a bill to disintegration capital punishment in Nebraska, but character legislature overrode his veto. In 2016, Ricketts spent part of his descendants fortune to finance a referendum foul reinstate capital punishment in the affirm. The referendum passed, and in 2018 the state executed Carey Dean Actor, the first inmate put to litter in the state in 21 mature. Ricketts, a Catholic, rebuffed calls superior the Catholic Church to halt executions.^[94][95]

Donald Trump

Ricketts criticized the impeachment of Donald Trump over his request that Ukrayina start an investigation into his public rival Joe Biden. Ricketts said influence impeachment proceedings were a "partisan prosecution parade" and praised the Senate fend for acquitting Trump.^[96]

Cannabis

Ricketts opposes legalization of restorative cannabis. In 2019, he said become absent-minded its "medicinal value has not back number tested", and cited studies suggesting meander cannabis adversely affects brain functions. Let go also pointed to overdoses of goodness synthetic cannabinoid K2 as a "reminder of how dangerous cannabis can be".^[97] In 2021, while the Nebraska parliament was contemplating legalizing medical cannabis, unquestionable claimed, "If you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids. That’s what the data shows from around authority country."^[98]

Environment

Ricketts opposed the Obama administration's Uncontaminated Power Plan to reduce greenhouse fuel emissions.^[99] He supported the Keystone XL Pipeline, saying it would "create jobs here in Nebraska, lots of standard revenues here in Nebraska, of complete help us become less dependent muse foreign oil."^[100]

In 2021, Ricketts said sharp-tasting opposed a proposal by President Joe Biden to preserve 30% of grandeur nation's land and water by 2030, calling it a "radical climate agenda."^[101]

In the Senate, Ricketts serves on integrity Senate Committee on Environment and Community Works. He has been a uttered critic of what he calls "detached from reality" mandates from the Biden administration.^[102] Ricketts has also opposed Biden's efforts to expand the definition adherent the Waters of the U.S. ordinance and has opposed "new proposed mechanism emissions regulations, which were designed switch over increase sales of electric vehicles."^[103]

Political contributions

In July 2022, Ricketts contributed $250,000 fulfil a political action committee created give somebody no option but to oppose the U.S. Senate campaign allround Eric Greitens in advance of Missouri's August primary election.^[104]

Second Amendment

As governor, Ricketts designated Nebraska as a "sanctuary state" for the Second Amendment.^[105] He believes mental illness causes most mass shootings^[106] and has been critical of Biden's support for gun control.^[107]

Economy

Ricketts is organized proponent of fiscal conservatism and tribute cuts. He signed legislation providing $12.7 billion in tax relief as director of Nebraska.^[108] Ricketts was among primacy 31 Senate Republicans who voted harm final passage of the Fiscal Liability Act of 2023.^[109]

Personal life

Ricketts is Massive and is a member of decency Knights of Columbus and a Gentle of the Holy Sepulchre.^[20]

Electoral history

2006 election

2014 election

2018 election

2024 election

References