2024 Nebraska US Senate Voters Guide – Special General Election

Preston Love Jr. (D) vs Pete Ricketts (R)

US Senate | Election | Nov 5, 2024

The Candidates

Preston Love Jr.

Preston Love Jr.

Democrat

Pete Ricketts

Pete Ricketts

Republican

Incumbent

The Issues

Abortion

Ban or legal?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Legal. Supports “preserving Roe v. Wade.” Would “work towards eliminating legal and financial barriers that impede access to safe and legal abortion services.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Ban. Sponsored bills to outlaw dispensing of abortion treatments by mail, criminalize performing an abortion on an out-of-state minor without parental consent, and permanently prohibit federal funding for abortion. Supports prohibiting abortion at 12 weeks.

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Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Yes. “Climate change is the biggest challenge our world now faces.” Would “push for renewable energy.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

No. As senator, voted against allowing pension plan managers to consider financial risks from climate change in making investment decisions. Opposes EV mandates. “Supports “America’s nuclear leadership “ for “energy independence.”

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Economy

Decrease or increase government investment in, and regulation of, the economy?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Increase. Seeks “stable funding for risk management” programs for farmers. Supports “investing in rural agriculture” and soil and water conservation programs.

Pete Ricketts (R)

Mixed. As governor, vetoed $120 million in federal rental and utility aid for Nebraska. Would “control spending and balance the budget” and “reign in Washington’s inflated spending.” Supports federal assistance and programs for farmers and ranchers.

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Education

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Use public funding for private and/or for-profit schools?

No. “Voucher programs have been shown to benefit wealthy families over families in need. We must continue to support our public schools.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Yes. Worked to create taxpayer-funded private school scholarships. Declared School Choice Week in Nebraska. Supports giving tax credits to donors of private school scholarships. Supports tax credit vouchers for subsidizing private schools.

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Elections

Did Joe Biden win the 2020 Presidential election?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Yes. Called on Nebraska’s state attorney general to retract his support of a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election. The lawsuit was an “attempt to disenfranchise voters.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Yes. In 2021 said Congress should approve the 2020 Electoral College results but also establish a commission to investigate voter fraud. Before the election, was “very confident” about Nebraska’s voting system, but was concerned about “stories from other states.” Saw no evidence to charge Trump with crimes around January 6.

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Environment

Loosen or tighten environmental regulations?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Likely tighten. Will “prioritize our environment and support the critical work of local farmers and ranchers in our state who work with our natural resources every day.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Mostly loosen. Opposes labeling of the pesticide glyphosate. Opposed Biden expansion of Endangered Species protections. Supports funding flood resilience and rehabilitation of aging dams.

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Gun Laws

Loosen or tighten gun regulation?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Tighten. “Ban… bump stocks,” modifications that allow semiautomatic weapons to fire at a much higher rate. “It’s time to ban assault weapons and pass [red] flag laws that keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Likely loosen. Blocked a bill that would have banned bump stocks, modifications that allow semiautomatic weapons to fire at a much higher rate. Opposes “red flag laws” that temporarily remove firearms from a person found to be a threat.

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Health Care

Increase or decrease government support for health care?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Increase. Supports “universal access to affordable healthcare.” Would expand Medicaid and telehealth and increase funding for rural healthcare.

Pete Ricketts (R)

Likely no. As governor, opposed Medicaid expansion. Took two years to implement the expansion after voters approved it. Says the two years were necessary to avoid enrolling ineligible people.

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Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Easier. “Will support measures strengthening organized labor and keeping good-paying jobs in Nebraska.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Harder. In 2023, sponsored the National Right to Work Act, which would allow employees in a unionized workplace to not pay union dues. In 2015 testified before Congress in support of right-to-work laws.

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LGBTQ Rights

Limit or expand LGBTQ rights?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Expand. “We celebrate the progress we have made toward equality and honor the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community as their rights are still threatened across the country.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Likely limit. “The Biden administration’s rewrite of Title IX to include gender identity is classic big government overreach.”

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Marijuana

Ban or legal?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

No position found.

Pete Ricketts (R)

Ban. Opposed legalization of medical marijuana. “If you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids.” Led opposition to a bill that would allow state-legal marijuana businesses to use banking services.

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Minimum Wage

Raise the federal minimum from $7.25 per hour?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Likely yes. “All Americans deserve a livable wage for an honest day’s work.”

Pete Ricketts (R)

Likely no. In 2022 opposed the voter-approved raise in Nebraska, saying that markets should set employee wages. “Employers should pay what the market demands to hire people.”

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Student Financial Aid

Support lowering interest on student loans and/or forgiving them?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

No position found.

Pete Ricketts (R)

No. Opposed the Biden student loan forgiveness plan as “unconstitutional.”

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Taxes

Raise or lower taxes on corporations and wealthier individuals?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Unclear. Supports property tax relief for farmers and ranchers. Supports a business tax incentive to help development in North Omaha and other depressed areas.

Pete Ricketts (R)

Lower. As governor, signed a bill to cut corporate taxes and another that cut corporate and top-level individual income tax rates.

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Voting Rules

Make voting harder or easier?

Preston Love Jr. (D)

Easier. Would restore the Voting Rights Art. Supports expanding early voting. Would combat voter suppression.

Pete Ricketts (R)

Harder. Led the 2022 campaign to get a voter ID constitutional amendment added to the Nebraska ballot.

Click To Share Stance

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Preston Love Jr.

democratic Party

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Pete Ricketts

republican Party

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Preston Love Jr.

democratic

Pete Ricketts

republican

See guides.vote for online guides with links & sources https://love4senate.com/ https://petericketts.com/
Abortion

Ban or legal?

Legal. Supports “preserving Roe v. Wade.” Would “work towards eliminating legal and financial barriers that impede access to safe and legal abortion services.”Ban. Sponsored bills to outlaw dispensing of abortion treatments by mail, criminalize performing an abortion on an out-of-state minor without parental consent, and permanently prohibit federal funding for abortion. Supports prohibiting abortion at 12 weeks.
Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority?

Yes. “Climate change is the biggest challenge our world now faces.” Would “push for renewable energy.”No. As senator, voted against allowing pension plan managers to consider financial risks from climate change in making investment decisions. Opposes EV mandates. “Supports “America’s nuclear leadership “ for “energy independence.”
Economy

Decrease or increase government investment in, and regulation of, the economy?

Increase. Seeks “stable funding for risk management” programs for farmers. Supports “investing in rural agriculture” and soil and water conservation programs.Mixed. As governor, vetoed $120 million in federal rental and utility aid for Nebraska. Would “control spending and balance the budget” and “reign in Washington’s inflated spending.” Supports federal assistance and programs for farmers and ranchers.
Education

[gdv_candidate_1]

No. “Voucher programs have been shown to benefit wealthy families over families in need. We must continue to support our public schools.”Yes. Worked to create taxpayer-funded private school scholarships. Declared School Choice Week in Nebraska. Supports giving tax credits to donors of private school scholarships. Supports tax credit vouchers for subsidizing private schools.
Elections

Did Joe Biden win the 2020 Presidential election?

Yes. Called on Nebraska’s state attorney general to retract his support of a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election. The lawsuit was an “attempt to disenfranchise voters.”Yes. In 2021 said Congress should approve the 2020 Electoral College results but also establish a commission to investigate voter fraud. Before the election, was "very confident" about Nebraska’s voting system, but was concerned about "stories from other states." Saw no evidence to charge Trump with crimes around January 6.
Environment

Loosen or tighten environmental regulations?

Likely tighten. Will “prioritize our environment and support the critical work of local farmers and ranchers in our state who work with our natural resources every day.”Mostly loosen. Opposes labeling of the pesticide glyphosate. Opposed Biden expansion of Endangered Species protections. Supports funding flood resilience and rehabilitation of aging dams.
Gun Laws

Loosen or tighten gun regulation?

Tighten. “Ban… bump stocks,” modifications that allow semiautomatic weapons to fire at a much higher rate. “It’s time to ban assault weapons and pass [red] flag laws that keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.”Likely loosen. Blocked a bill that would have banned bump stocks, modifications that allow semiautomatic weapons to fire at a much higher rate. Opposes “red flag laws” that temporarily remove firearms from a person found to be a threat.
Health Care

Increase or decrease government support for health care?

Increase. Supports “universal access to affordable healthcare.” Would expand Medicaid and telehealth and increase funding for rural healthcare.Likely no. As governor, opposed Medicaid expansion. Took two years to implement the expansion after voters approved it. Says the two years were necessary to avoid enrolling ineligible people.
Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Easier. “Will support measures strengthening organized labor and keeping good-paying jobs in Nebraska.”Harder. In 2023, sponsored the National Right to Work Act, which would allow employees in a unionized workplace to not pay union dues. In 2015 testified before Congress in support of right-to-work laws.
LGBTQ Rights

Limit or expand LGBTQ rights?

Expand. “We celebrate the progress we have made toward equality and honor the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community as their rights are still threatened across the country.”Likely limit. “The Biden administration’s rewrite of Title IX to include gender identity is classic big government overreach.”
Marijuana

Ban or legal?

No position found.Ban. Opposed legalization of medical marijuana. “If you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids.” Led opposition to a bill that would allow state-legal marijuana businesses to use banking services.
Minimum Wage

Raise the federal minimum from $7.25 per hour?

Likely yes. “All Americans deserve a livable wage for an honest day’s work.”Likely no. In 2022 opposed the voter-approved raise in Nebraska, saying that markets should set employee wages. “Employers should pay what the market demands to hire people.”
Student Financial Aid

Support lowering interest on student loans and/or forgiving them?

No position found.No. Opposed the Biden student loan forgiveness plan as “unconstitutional.”
Taxes

Raise or lower taxes on corporations and wealthier individuals?

Unclear. Supports property tax relief for farmers and ranchers. Supports a business tax incentive to help development in North Omaha and other depressed areas.Lower. As governor, signed a bill to cut corporate taxes and another that cut corporate and top-level individual income tax rates.
Voting Rules

Make voting harder or easier?

Easier. Would restore the Voting Rights Art. Supports expanding early voting. Would combat voter suppression.Harder. Led the 2022 campaign to get a voter ID constitutional amendment added to the Nebraska ballot.

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