United States Senate election in Nebraska, 2006
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The 2006 U.S. Senate election for the state of Nebraska was held November 7, 2006. Ben 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. However, he won re-election by a wide margin.
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. In comparison, David Kramer raised $330,000 and Don Stenberg $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.
Contents |
[edit] Candidates
- Democratic
- Ben Nelson - incumbent Senator
- Republican
- Pete Ricketts - former COO of Ameritrade
[edit] Unsuccessful primary candidates
- Republicans
- David Kramer - attorney, Nebraska Republican Party chairman
- Don Stenberg - former Nebraska Attorney General; 2000 Republican Senate nominee
[edit] Polling
| Source | Date | Nelson (D) | Ricketts (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen | October 19, 2006 | 54% | 34% |
| Rasmussen | September 26, 2006 | 55% | 32% |
| Rasmussen | August 17, 2006 | 55% | 32% |
| Rasmussen | July 17, 2006 | 57% | 31% |
| Rasmussen | May 13, 2006 | 54% | 35% |
| Rasmussen | April 26, 2006 | 54% | 36% |
| Rasmussen | November 23, 2005 | 52% | 29% |
[edit] Results
[edit] Primary
Unofficial results from the Nebraska Secretary of State Office:
| Nebraska United States Senate election, 2006 primary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Pete Ricketts | 126,083 | 47.95 | N/A | |
| Republican | Don Stenberg | 94,216 | 35.83 | N/A | |
| Republican | David Kramer | 42,672 | 16.23 | N/A | |
[edit] General
| 2006 United States Senate election, Nebraska | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Ben Nelson (incumbent) | 377,907 | 63.9 | +12.9 | |
| Republican | Pete Ricketts | 213,054 | 36.1 | -12.7 | |
| Majority | 164,853 | 27.9 | |||
| Turnout | 590,961 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
[edit] External links
| Preceded by 2002 Chuck Hagel |
Nebraska U.S. Senate elections 2006 |
Succeeded by 2008 |
