Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson
United States Senator
from Nebraska
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byBob Kerrey
Succeeded byDeb Fischer
37th Governor of Nebraska
In office
January 9, 1991 – January 7, 1999
LieutenantMaxine Moul
Kim Robak
Preceded byKay Orr
Succeeded byMike Johanns
Director of the Nebraska Department of Insurance
In office
1975–1976
GovernorJ. James Exon
Preceded byJames M. Jackson
Succeeded byBerri Balka
Personal details
Born
Earl Benjamin Nelson

(1941-05-17) May 17, 1941 (age 83)
McCook, Nebraska, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseDiane Nelson[1]
EducationUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln (BA, MA, JD)

Earl Benjamin Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 37th governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and as of 2024, is the last Democrat to hold and/or win any statewide elected office in Nebraska.

Nelson was an insurance executive before he entered politics. His first run for office was in 1990, when he narrowly defeated incumbent Republican governor Kay Orr. He was reelected by a landslide in 1994.[2] He ran for an open U.S. Senate seat in 1996, losing in an upset to Republican Chuck Hagel. He was elected to Nebraska's other Senate seat in 2000, and reelected in 2006. He did not run for a third term in 2012, and was succeeded by Republican Deb Fischer.

Nelson was the most conservative Democrat during his time in the Senate, frequently voting against his party.[3]

  1. ^ Walton, Don (8 March 2016). "Ben Nelson's daughter dies in a fall". journalstar.com. Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  2. ^ "The 1994 Elections: Congress; Who Won Where—The Races For Governor". The New York Times. November 10, 1994. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  3. ^ Wing, Nick (January 4, 2011). "Ben Nelson Is Senate Democrat Most Likely To Vote Against His Party: Analysis". HuffPost. Retrieved November 4, 2013.