LINCOLN- Gov. Pillen appointed his predecessor Gov. Ricketts to the vacant senate seat that was held by Senator Ben Sasse. Senator-designate Ricketts only spent one full week out of the political realm before assuming the role of Senator. Gov. Pillen said, "My job … was to find the best person to represent us, and the process for me has been really, really important."

Gov. Pillen said Ricketts was the most qualified for the role and also had the most seniority. The interview process contained 111 applicants and was boiled down to 9 who were interviewed. Among them: former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom, Pinnacle Bank Chairman Sid Dinsdale, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce President Bryan Slone and lawyer Ann Ashford. Gov. Pillen said he did the interviewing himself and did not interview with any Democrats.

“We took this process incredibly seriously,” Pillen said. “The criteria for me were really, really simple. The appointee needs to represent us as a people.” Gov. Pillen said Ricketts hits all the criteria areas with flying colors. Ricketts credited Sasse for his service, including his efforts to help to get conservative judges confirmed. He said he looks forward to working with and learning from Sen. Deb Fischer.

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