Mr. Ricketts "goes to Washington;"
Surrounded by a "Who's Who" of Nebraska Republicans at the State Capitol this morning, New Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen appoints former Governor Pete Ricketts to the U.S. Senate.
Ricketts, standing in the Governor's Hearing Room where up until a few days ago he was doing work as Nebraska's chief executive, will replace Ben Sasse in the Senate.
The Republican Sasse resigned from the Senate to become President of the University of Florida.
Pillen says 111 applications for the Senate seat were received and nine people were interviewed.
Ricketts will serve until early January, 2025.
There will be an election in 2024 for the remaining two years of the term.
Today's news from Lincoln brings a response from the Nebraska Democratic Party;
Chair Jane Kleeb: "Gov. Pillen appointed Pete Ricketts in order to pay him back for buying the Governor's seat. This is the most blatant pay-to-play scheme we’ve seen in our state and it’s happening right in front of us all. Nebraskans deserve a Senator who will work for them, not someone who buys elections as a hobby."
Executive Director Precious McKesson: “Senator-designate Ricketts has said he wants to make government work for the people of Nebraska. I hope he remembers ALL people in Nebraska, including those people and issues he has repeatedly sought to marginalize: women’s reproductive freedom, equal rights, voting rights, and support for our strong public schools. We look forward to watching how he will seek to better represent everyone in Nebraska – Republican, Democrat, and Independent.
(Picture from Getty Images)