2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska

The 2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democrat Ben Nelson won reelection to a second term, beating Republican Pete Ricketts by 63.8% of the vote to 36.1%. As of 2020, this is the last U.S. Senate election or statewide race in Nebraska won by a Democrat.

2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska
November 7, 2006
 
Nominee Ben Nelson Pete Ricketts
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 378,388 213,928
Percentage 63.9% 36.1%
County results
Nelson:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Ricketts:      50–60%
U.S. senator before election

Ben Nelson
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Ben Nelson
Democratic

Elections in Nebraska

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results
Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ben Nelson (incumbent) 92,501 100.00
Total votes 92,501 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

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.

Results
Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Ricketts 129,643 48.14
Republican Don Stenberg 96,496 35.83
Republican David J. Kramer 43,185 16.03
Total votes 269,324 100.00

General election

Candidates

Campaign

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, is 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. President George W. Bush appeared at a rally for Ricketts on November 5, 2006, in Grand Island, while then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama appeared at a fundraiser for Nelson and other Nebraska Democrats on May 5, 2006 in Omaha. However, he won re-election by a wide margin.

Polling
Source Date Ben
Nelson (D)		 Pete
Ricketts (R)
Rasmussen November 23, 2005 52% 29%
Rasmussen April 26, 2006 54% 36%
Rasmussen May 13, 2006 54% 35%
Rasmussen July 17, 2006 57% 31%
Rasmussen August 17, 2006 55% 32%
Rasmussen September 26, 2006 55% 32%
Rasmussen October 19, 2006 54% 34%

Results
United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2006[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Ben Nelson (incumbent) 378,388 63.88% +12.88%
Republican Pete Ricketts 213,928 36.12% -12.70%
Total votes 590,961 100.00% N/A
Democratic hold

References
  1. "U.S. Senate - Nebraska 2006 Primary Election Official Results". www.sos.ne.gov. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  2. "U.S. Senate - Nebraska 2006 Primary Election Official Results". www.sos.ne.gov. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  3. "2006 Election Statistics". clerk.house.gov.
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