# Nebraska FOP endorses Ricketts in closely watched Senate race  
**Published:** 2026-06-22T19:30:34.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-fraternal-order-of-police-endorses-sen-pete-ricketts-in-his-reelection-campaign/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/nebraska-fop-endorses-ricketts-in-closely-watched-senate-race

LINCOLN, Neb. — The [Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-fraternal-order-of-police-endorses-sen-pete-ricketts-in-his-reelection-campaign/) in his bid for a full term, marking support from the state's largest law enforcement union in what is shaping up to be one of the year's most competitive Senate races.

Fraternal Order of Police union president Anthony Conner said Ricketts "has always stood with law enforcement, not just when it's easy, but when it matters most," and credited him with backing "the policies and resources that keep officers safe and our communities secure" as both governor and senator.

The Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police, the largest law enforcement union in the state, typically endorses Republican candidates. Ricketts also received the union's support in 2024 against Democrat Preston Love Jr.

Ricketts is facing a tightening race against independent candidate Dan Osborn, a former union leader who is running essentially neck and neck with the incumbent in public polling while outraising him in recent months. Ricketts, appointed to the Senate in 2023 to fill a vacancy created by Ben Sasse's resignation, won a 2024 special election and is now seeking his first full six-year term.

Osborn, who came closer than expected to defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in 2024, has received endorsements from the American Federation of Government Employees, End Citizens United, the Nebraska AFL-CIO, and the state's largest teachers union. Democratic nominee Cindy Burbank has pledged to drop out of the general election to support Osborn.

The race has attracted national attention, with Ricketts bringing Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to Lincoln to emphasize the race's importance. The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-fraternal-order-of-police-endorses-sen-pete-ricketts-in-his-reelection-campaign/)
- [2026 United States Senate election in Nebraska - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_Nebraska)
- [Pete Ricketts' Nebraska Race Tightens as Field Clears for Osborn - Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/gop-senator-pete-ricketts-chances-of-losing-to-dan-osborn-in-nebraska-11940745)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-fraternal-order-of-police-endorses-sen-pete-ricketts-in-his-reelection-campaign/.