Ricketts was sworn in as Nebraska’s 40th Governor on January 8, 2015 and reelected to a second term in November 2018. As governor, Ricketts dramatically improved services to Nebraskans, and worked with the Legislature to deliver over $12.7 billion in tax relief, including over $10 billion in property tax relief, by 2027. Additionally, he fully eliminated state taxes on veterans’ retirement income starting in 2022 and on Social Security benefits by 2025. Ricketts also reduced the rate of state spending growth, created new workforce development programming, cut unnecessary red tape to bolster Nebraska’s business-friendly climate, and expanded international markets for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers. Thanks in part to the Governor’s leadership, Nebraska won the Governor’s Cup for the most economic development projects per capita three years in a row from 2016 to 2018. He was also appointed to serve on the Council of Governors and the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations by President Donald J. Trump.