Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) on Thursday named former governor Pete Ricketts (R) as the replacement for former senator Ben Sasse (R), who resigned from his seat earlier this week to become the president of the University of Florida.
Ricketts will serve out two more years of Sasse’s term, then would have to run in a special election in November 2024 to fill out the remaining two years of Sasse’s term. Ricketts said Thursday he was committed to running in 2024 and then 2026 for a full, six-year term.
Ricketts served two terms governor of Nebraska from 2015 until last week. Term limits prevented Ricketts from seeking reelection last year, but his early endorsement of Pillen from a crowded GOP field helped steer Pillen to the governor’s mansion.
Pillen said Ricketts had beaten out eight other finalists — all Republicans — who had applied to be Sasse’s replacement. The governor pushed back against criticism that the replacement process might seem like “backroom dealings,” given Ricketts’s support of Pillen’s gubernatorial campaign.
“Anybody who knows me knows that’s not part of my DNA. It just doesn’t work,” Pillen said. “Integrity of the process and the commitment to the process was highest priority.”
Sasse formally resigned from his seat Sunday. Until Ricketts is sworn in, the Senate remains split 51-48, with Democrats holding a three-seat majority. On Thursday, Pillen suggested that Ricketts would be sworn in on Jan. 23.
Ricketts said he shared Sasse’s conservative values and said he would be focused on reigning in government spending and ensuring a strong national defense. He also said he aimed to help bring “civility and respect” to a polarized Senate.
“It’s just who we are as Nebraskans,” Ricketts said. “Here in Nebraska, we have worked to be able to make government work for the people. And that’s what we have to do in Washington, D.C.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday praised Ricketts’s “proven record” and said he was looking forward to working closely together “for years to come.”
“Governor Pillen could not have found a more capable leader to take the baton from our colleague Senator Sasse and fight for the Cornhusker State,” McConnell said in a statement. “Senator-designate Ricketts has a proven record. He pairs sharp business savvy with a deep commitment to public service.”
The Senate faces potential upheaval in 2024, when 23 Senate seats held by Democrats and 10 seats held by Republicans are up for reelection. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow made a surprise announcement last week that she would not seek reelection in 2024, creating an open Senate seat in the swing state of Michigan.
In California, a race to fill Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D) seat is already shaping up to be a competitive one — even though Feinstein, 89, has not explicitly said whether she will seek another term in 2024.
On Tuesday, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) announced she will run for Feinstein’s seat. A number of other California Democrats are said to be interested in a Senate run as well, including Reps. Ro Khanna, Adam B. Schiff and Barbara Lee.
Lee, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a statement to The Washington Post that “California deserves a senator with a record of accomplishment and a progressive vision.”
“While the United States Senate is sorely lacking the presence of people of color, Black women in particular, today I am focused on helping Californians stay safe in this extreme weather and fighting the House Republicans’ extreme agenda,” she added.
Dylan Wells contributed to this report.
