Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts tapped to fill Sasse’s Senate seat

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) on Thursday tapped former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) to fill the Senate seat vacated by former Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) earlier this month.

The move has been widely expected since October, when Sasse became a finalist to become president of the University of Florida. The two-term senator officially resigned his seat on Sunday, creating the immediate vacancy. He is set to become the university’s president next month.