Senator Ben Sasse will most likely be giving up his seat in the Senate for a position as the University of Florida president.
The college announced on Thursday that Sasse was a sole finalist for its top position, after they considered more than a dozen highly qualified diverse candidates.
“This is right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sasse family,” said Rahul Patel, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, in the announcement. “Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities, and an unmatched track record of leadership spanning higher education, government and the private sector.”
Sasse has served as the junior United States senator for Nebraska since 2015. He was one of seven Republican senators to vote to impeach former president Donald Trump. Sasse won a reelection in 2020, launching his second six-year term.
While speaking about the nation’s economic landscape, Sasse said, “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. Lifelong work in one sector will never again be the norm for most Americans, and therefore lifelong learning must necessarily become the norm for most Americans. Higher education is going to need to change and grow and rethink its forms, again and again.”
Sasse is expected to visit the University of Florida campus on Monday to have a sit down with students and staff.
Meanwhile it looks like Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, might just be appointed as Sasse’s successor.
Ricketts’ spokesperson Alex Reuss responded to the speculation, saying, “We aren’t going to speculate at this point. Right now, Senator Sasse is a sitting U.S. senator, and there’s no appointment to be made.”
Another candidates to take Sasse’s place are Nebraska Republican Representatives Mike Flood and Don Bacon.
Geoff Lorenz, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said, “It’s not likely Bacon will replace Sasse because he has had to distance himself from the party somewhat in order to carry his seat. On the other hand, Flood is a brand-new member of Congress and like many new members he has focused on being a loyal party soldier.”
Sasse said, “My wife and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we’ve resisted being a finalist. This time is different because the University of Florida is different. I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.”
