Crypto PAC, Republicans Reportedly Swooping In To Save Incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts In Nebraska

Republicans’ top Senate campaign arm and the cryptocurrency industry increased spending to boost Republican Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts’ chances weeks before Election Day.

The Senate Leadership Fund said it will spend $8 million through Nov. 3 after already spending $7 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. Fairshake, a pro-crypto super PAC, planned to spend heavily on Ricketts and other candidates who supported The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, a legislative priority for the industry.

Osbourn’s campaign has spent roughly $2.1 million on advertising since the primary, according to WSJ. The Nebraska Values PAC and Working Class Majority PAC are backing Ricketts’ opponent, independent Dan Osbourn.

The Win It Back PAC, a conservative super PAC affiliated with Club for Growth, and other PACs spent $2.3 million on advertising for the Nebraska race, according to WSJ.

Ricketts’ campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Fairshake spent $93 million in total disbursements between Jan. 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. The PAC spent $30 million to oppose former Democratic Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who opposed the industry while previously serving as chair of the Senate Banking Committee. Coinbase, Ripple Labs and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz primarily fund the super PAC.

Ricketts led Osborn 45% to 40% in a poll conducted by co/efficient between Sept. 28 and 30, while a YouGov poll from late September and early October found Osborn leading 48% to 47%. The first poll found Rickett’s disapproval rating to be 47%, while his favorability was 40%.

Osborn became known in the state after leading a union strike against Kellogg’s Omaha plant in 2021. Osborn lost to Republican Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer 53.3% to 46.7% in the 2024 election. President Donald Trump won the state by 16 points in 2024.

Ricketts serves on the Senate Banking Committee and voted to advance The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which was a legislative priority for the crypto industry. The legislation passed the House, but failed to meet the necessary 60-vote threshold to reach the Senate floor in a Sept. 15 procedural vote.