Former Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, a Republican, was appointed on Thursday as the state’s next senator, replacing Ben Sasse, a fellow Republican who resigned this week to
become president of the University of Florida.
Mr. Ricketts was chosen for the Senate seat by his successor in the governor’s office, Jim Pillen, whose campaign he helped bankroll last year.
A special election will be held in 2024 to fill the seat for the remainder of Mr. Sasse’s term, which would have ended in 2026. That means if Mr. Ricketts wants to stay in the Senate, he will have to run in the special election in 2024 and then again in 2026 for a full term.
Mr. Ricketts, 58, served two terms as governor from 2015 until this month. He was widely expected to seek the Senate seat after Mr. Sasse announced last year that he intended to step down, and he
quickly received support from Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.
