NE Gov Likely To Seek Appointment To Sasse’s Seat

Politico reports:

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts isn’t going to appoint himself to the Senate when Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) leaves for his new gig in Florida. But when his term as governor is up in January, he’s not opposed to being appointed by the next guy.

Unlike a handful of other governors who have passed on opportunities to make the jump to the Senate, Rickets spoke fondly of the upper chamber in an interview with Jordain this week in Lincoln, Neb.

The next governor of the Cornhusker State is expected to be Ricketts-endorsed Republican Jim Pillen. If Ricketts gets the senate appointment, political operators within the state are already planning a challenge from the right in 2024, when Nebraska would hold an election for the final two years of Sasse’s term.

Read the full article.

According to the piece, Mitch McConnell and Rick Scott are already pushing Ricketts for the seat. Ricketts, whose father founded TD Ameritrade, owns the Chicago Cubs with his siblings. The Ricketts are listed by Forbes as among the country’s wealthiest families.

NEWS from Nebraska:

-Ricketts tells me he’s spoken with McConnell and Rick Scott about Sasse’s seat, calling them both “encouraging”
-IF Ricketts gets the appointment (discussion he says is premature) some are already pledging a 2024 primary challenge https://t.co/JNFxwv4fXI

— Jordain Carney (@jordainc) November 3, 2022