Former Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has a new job. During a news conference at the State Capitol Thursday morning Governor Jim Pillen appointed Ricketts to fill the U-S Senate seat vacated by Ben Sasse.
“I’m very grateful for this unexpected opportunity to be able to continue to serve the people of Nebraska,” Ricketts says. Sasse resigned last Sunday as will become the new president of the University of Florida next month.
Ricketts ran for the Senate in 2006, but was unsuccessful. He just completed two terms as governor. He says Nebraska is what America is supposed to be.
“We’ve got to hold Washington D.C. accountable for the waste and the fraud and make sure we’re running government more like a business, just like we’ve done here in Nebraska.”
Pillen says they received 111 applications for the position. Nine candidates were interviewed with Ricketts coming out on top. “It’s really important that the appointee has the courage to stand up and defend us and believe in how important Nebraska’s safety is and our nations safety,” Pillen says.
Ricketts will occupy Sasse’s seat until 2024. He says he plans to seek election to complete the final two years of Sasse’s unexpired term.