Ben Sasse

Benjamin Eric Sasse ( ; born February 22, 1972) is an American politician and former academic administrator who represented Nebraska in the United States Senate from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the president of the University of Florida from 2023 to 2024.

Born in Plainview, Nebraska, Sasse was educated at Harvard University, St. John's College, and Yale University. He has taught at the University of Texas and served as an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the George W. Bush administration. In 2010, Sasse was named the 15th president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska.

In 2014, Sasse ran for a vacant seat in the U.S. Senate. He defeated Democratic nominee David Domina, 65% to 31%. In 2020, Sasse was reelected. On February 13, 2021, Sasse was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Donald Trump of incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial.

Sasse resigned from the Senate on January 8, 2023, to succeed Kent Fuchs as president of the University of Florida. On July 18, 2024, he announced his surprise resignation from the position effective July 31, 2024, citing his wife's health issues. After his resignation, it was revealed that Sasse had spent an unusual amount of money as president of the University, much of which went to lucrative consulting contracts and high-paid, remote positions for his former staffers and GOP allies. Provided by Wikipedia