Pete Ricketts joins Republic primary race for U.S. Senate

[Omaha Steve]

BY ROBYNN TYSVER


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Pete Ricketts, the son of the founder of Ameritrade, made it official Saturday. He will run for the U.S. Senate.

J. Peter Ricketts

Ricketts, 40, said he will spend the next 90 days, traveling across Nebraska and putting together a campaign team.

A multimillionaire, Ricketts is the third Republican to get into the race. He will have two GOP opponents in the May primary: former Attorney General Don Stenberg and Omaha attorney David Kramer.

complete story here: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=1483003

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1. Ameritrade COO Joins Republican Primary Race for Senate in Nebraska

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB6T3DCCCE.html

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Ameritrade executive Pete Ricketts, describing himself as anti-abortion conservative, launched an election campaign Saturday to unseat U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, the only Democrat in Nebraska's congressional delegation.

"I grew up with great values and tremendous opportunities," said Ricketts, Ameritrade's chief operating officer and son of its founder. "I want my three kids and other's people's children to have the same opportunities that I had." snip

"I'm a conservative Republican," Ricketts said Saturday. "We need to support President Bush's agenda. ... We have to have a culture that respects life, that respects the unborn."

He also said that Social Security should be modernized, and that private investment accounts proposed by the Bush administration "can be part of the solution."