A new report reveals that U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) plans to resign from his position to pursue a new opportunity outside of elected office.
NewsRadio 1110 KFAB’s Ian Swanson, who is also a former staffer for Sasse, broke the news, saying that Sasse planned to work in higher education and that the resignation would not be immediate.
“[Senator Sasse] will imminently announce his intent to resign from the U.S. Senate to pursue another opportunity in higher education,” Swanson wrote on Twitter. “While the process could take a bit, the announcements are expected ‘imminently.’”
“I want to be clear here: this is a process that will take time, so the resignation will not take effect today,” he added. “The process will be announced today, and I am told to expect the resignation to actually be made official in December.”
Just an hour later, Sasse posted an article from the Tampa Bay Times, announcing that he was the sole finalist for the role of president of the University of Florida.
Sasse then issued a statement on the subject.
“The University of Florida is uniquely positioned to lead this country through an era of disruption,” Sasse wrote. “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.
“Melissa and I have been pursued by wonderful institutions the past two years, but we’ve resisted being named a finalist,” he continued. “This time is different because the University of Florida is very different: I think Florida is the most interesting university in America right now.
“UF is the most important institution in the nation’s most economically dynamic state. Washington partisanship isn’t going to solve these workforce challenges — new institutions and entrepreneurial communities are going to have to spearhead this work. If UF wants to go big, I’m excited about the wide range of opportunities. I’m delighted to be in conversation with the leadership of this special community about how we might together build a vision for UF to be the nation’s most-dynamic, bold, future-oriented university,” the senator concluded.
Aaron Sanderford, a reporter with the Nebraska Examiner, reported that Sasse’s resignation means his seat will be filled by gubernatorial appointment.
“His replacement would serve from now until early 2025,” Sanderford said. “That would mean Nebraska could have both Senate seats up in the same presidential election year, 2024.”
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
