Omaha, Nebraska: Ricketts and State Officials Pull Endorsement After $750,000 Sports Betting Donation

Three of Nebraska's most senior Republican officeholders pulled their endorsements from legislative candidate Tim Anderson on Saturday, two days before voters decide whether he goes to the state Capitol and whether online sports betting becomes legal in Nebraska.

The $750,000 donation

Anderson, a Republican and the mayor of Sutton, is running for the District 38 seat in the Legislature. His campaign committee received a $750,000 contribution from Tax Relief Nebraska, the organization behind Initiatives 440 and 441, which would legalize online sports betting in the state. The Plains Sentinel reported that the money was not given to support Anderson's own race. It was passed through his committee to pay for television advertisements for the initiatives, because advertising paid for by a candidate carries a more favorable rate. Rural Radio reported that the contribution is believed to be the largest individual contribution ever made to a Nebraska legislative campaign. Campaign finance filings reported by Betting.net show that Tax Relief Nebraska is funded mainly by online sportsbooks: DraftKings has given about $9.54 million, FanDuel about $7.04 million, and four sportsbooks together have given nearly $18 million.

The break

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg and State Auditor Mike Foley each withdrew his endorsement on Saturday. Ricketts said Anderson had decided to "prioritize the out-of-state sports gambling interests over our young people and our college sports," and that he could no longer support him. Foley called the decision "a very, very big rookie mistake" and said aligning with the gambling interest in the state was very disturbing to him. The three officials said they will stay neutral in the District 38 race and will not endorse Anderson's opponent, Republican Janell Anderson Ehrke.

The tax relief argument

Anderson says he supports the initiatives because he supports property tax relief. "I support achieving property tax relief," he said in a statement. "I'll support any responsible idea that helps solve the property tax crisis driving families and farmers out of our state." Spellerberg, speaking at an Omaha event on Sunday, attacked the numbers behind that promise. He said the advertised $166 million in relief is spread over ten years, which comes to just over $16 million a year, and that Nebraska collected $5.6 billion in 2025, so the relief equals three-tenths of 1 percent of that total. Nebraskans would have to bet and lose $800 million over the decade to produce it, he said. Asked about losing the endorsements, Anderson told The Plains Sentinel, "Those guys are great leaders and I wish them nothing but the best." Ehrke, speaking to McCook News Now, criticized the size of the contribution and said her loyalties are to the people of District 38 and that "nobody owns me."

What Tuesday decides

Nebraska voters decide both questions on Tuesday, November 3. Voters in District 38 choose between Anderson and Ehrke for the Legislature, and voters across the state decide Initiatives 440 and 441. The first initiative would legalize online sports betting, and the second would create the framework for it, so supporters need both measures to pass for betting to begin.