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United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2006

United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2006
Nebraska
← 2000 November 7, 2006 2012 →
  Ben Nelson official photo.jpg Ricketts, Pete 2013-11-04a.JPG
Nominee Ben Nelson Pete Ricketts
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 378,388 213,928
Percentage 63.9% 36.1%

NESen06County.png
County results

U.S. Senator before election

Ben Nelson
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Ben Nelson
Democratic


Ben Nelson
Democratic

Ben Nelson
Democratic

The 2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ben Nelson won re-election to a second term. As of 2016, this is the last Senate election in Nebraska won by a Democrat.

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.

The primary election was held on 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.



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