Republican Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts will seek an appointment to the seat currently held by retiring Sen. Ben Sasse.
“This decision is the result of many hours of prayer and family discussions,” Ricketts said in a statement to Omaha ABC affiliate KETV. “For me, it came down to a single question: How can I best serve the people of Nebraska and advance our conservative values? In Congress, we’re in a fight for the future of our nation, and it’s a fight we have to win. We must cut taxes, strengthen public safety and our national security, and protect our most sacred freedoms.”
Sasse, who holds a PhD in history from Yale University, announced in October that he would step down from the Senate to lead the University of Florida. Before running for Congress in 2014, he served as president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. Sasse won his 2020 reelection bid by 38 points, and was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict former President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 28: Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) speaks on his cell phone as he walks through the U.S. Capitol Building on September 28, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In order to ascend to the Senate, Ricketts would have to be appointed by Republican Gov.-elect Jim Pillen, who will take office on Jan. 5. Sasse will resign from the Senate on Jan. 8, according to a letter he submitted to Ricketts. (RELATED: Nebraska Governor Criticizes University For Its ‘Anti-Racism’ Equity Plan)
Ricketts previously ran for Senate in 2006, setting a Nebraska record for self-financing by spending more than $11 million on his own campaign. He lost to incumbent Democrat Ben Nelson by nearly 28 points. He served as chairman of the Republican Governors Association during the 2022 midterms.
The University of Florida Board of Trustees voted in favor of Sasse’s nomination to lead the school on Nov. 1. Students at UF protested the senator, however, shutting down a town hall conducted between Sasse and the student body president. They cited his opposition to both same-sex marriage and abortion as creating an “unwelcoming climate” on campus.