Pete Ricketts

RepublicanU.S. Senator, NE

Age	61 (b. 1964-08-19)
Gender	Male
In office since	2023-01-23 (~3 yrs)
Race / ethnicity	White
Religion	Roman Catholic
Education	BA in Biology (1986) and MBA in Marketing and Finance (1991), both from the University of Chicago; graduated from Westside High School in Omaha
Prior occupation	Business executive; chief operating officer of TD Ameritrade (Ameritrade); co-owner and director of the Chicago Cubs; co-founder of the Platte Institute for Economic Research
Military service	No
Birthplace	Nebraska City, Nebraska
Marital status	Married — Susanne Shore
Children	3
Residence	Omaha, Nebraska
Notable relatives	Son of Joe Ricketts (founder of TD Ameritrade); brother of Tom Ricketts (Chicago Cubs chairman), Todd Ricketts (former RNC finance chair), and Laura Ricketts (Democratic donor and Cubs co-owner)

Wikipedia · Ballotpedia · OpenSecrets · Official site

Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.

Career & politics

First elected	2014
Previous offices	40th Governor of Nebraska (2015-2023) · Chair, Republican Governors Association (2018-2019; 2021-2022)
Committees	Committee on Environment and Public Works · Committee on Foreign Relations · Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs · Committee on the Budget
Ideology	Conservative Republican; vetoed legislative repeal of the death penalty and funded a successful 2016 referendum to reinstate capital punishment; supports strict abortion limits and Second Amendment protections

Financial

Net worth: estimate

Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) common stock

stock · –$25,000,000 · 2025

Scandals & crimes ledger

resolved — Ricketts-funded PAC fined for late campaign finance filings business

campaign-finance · 2008-01-31 · Nebraskans for Fiscal Accountability, an independent political committee whose only recorded donation was $20,000 from Pete Ricketts (made January 31, 2008), was fined $750 by the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (the state's campaign-finance/ethics 'sunshine' agency). The commission found the committee failed to file its organizational statement on time -- not submitting it until September 2, 2008 -- and failed to file its required annual financial disclosure report on time, not providing it until September 28, 2009. Ricketts was the committee's sole funder; news coverage does not indicate he personally held an officer role (e.g., treasurer) in the committee, so the fine was levied against the committee entity rather than against Ricketts as an individual. · $750 civil fine paid by the committee for late filings

A political committee funded solely by a $20,000 Pete Ricketts donation was fined $750 by Nebraska's state disclosure commission in 2009 for failing to timely file its organizational paperwork and annual financial report.

Sources: Lincoln Journal Star