Will Ricketts Replace Sasse In U.S. Senate? Ricketts Responds To Social Media Reports

UPDATED – October 8, 2022

LINCOLN – Responding to a flood of reaction on social media, Governor Pete Ricketts has issued a statement in response to speculation around an upcoming vacancy left by U.S. Senator Ben Sasse’s possible resignation.  More specifically. there were reports stating that Ricketts could appoint “himself” to the position.

 

Ricketts says – “This is the only statement that will be issued prior to any potential change in status on Senator Sasse. The first I learned about Senator Sasse’s plan to resign from the United States Senate was yesterday, when he called to notify me.  If I choose to pursue the appointment, I will leave the appointment decision to the next governor and will follow the process established for all interested candidates.  It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the governor of Nebraska.  It is the greatest job in the world, and it will remain my number one focus for the remainder of my term.”

 

Upon first learning of Senator Sasse’s plans to resign Thursday, the Governor had this to say:

 

“I appreciate Senator Sasse‘s service to our state and nation.  He would make an excellent President for the University of Florida.  He has one of the most conservative voting records in the Senate, and we need more conservative voices in our universities.  Senator Sasse is also incredibly smart and has the experience and a clear passion for higher education.  I wish him luck as the University of Florida makes their consideration.”

 

On Friday, we reported the following:

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), who announced Thursday that he will likely leave his post to pursue a position in higher education may have also provided a clue to the question of “what will Pete Ricketts do when he leaves the Nebraska Governor’s office”.

 

By law, a vacant U.S. Senate must be initially filled by that State’s Governor. If Sasse accepts a position with with the University of Florida to become its next president, the replacement will be named by Governor Pete Ricketts – or will it? The answer is – YES if Sasse leaves in December. But what happens if Ricketts has already left office following the election of a new governor in the upcoming November 8th General Election?

 

Fifty year-old Sasse is in discussion with the University of Florida to become its next president. He was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and formerly served as president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska.

 

Ian Swanson, a former Sasse staffer, talked about the senator’s plans during his show on Thursday on KFAB on Omaha, and quoted Sasse as saying –  “The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption. The single biggest challenge our nation faces is the radical disruption of work. Technology is changing everything about where, when, why, what, and how Americans work — and so it’s changing our homes, neighborhoods, and communities too,” the Nebraska Republican said in a statement. “Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we’ve resisted being named a finalist. This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.”

 

The University of Florida has announced that its presidential search committee has “unanimously recommended” Sasse as “the sole finalist for consideration by its Board of Trustees”. But the timing of Sasse’s resignation could have a big impact on who is tapped for the job.If Sasse resigned in December, Governor Pete Ricketts appoints his successor. But if Sasse resigns in January, that role could go to Jim Pillen – the likely new Nebraska Governor.

Share:
Comments