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Nebraska

Find out more about your senators below.

Chuck Hagel

Chuck Hagel

Chuck Hagel, Nebraska's senior U.S. Senator, is serving his second term in the United States Senate. Senator Hagel's duties include membership on four Senate committees: Foreign Relations; Banking; Housing and Urban Affairs; Intelligence and Rules.

Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Hagel worked in the private sector as the President of McCarthy & Co., an investment banking firm based in Omaha, Nebraska, and served as Chairman of the Board of American Information Systems (AIS). Before joining McCarthy & Co., Hagel was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Private Sector Council (PSC) in Washington, D.C., Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the 1990 Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations (G-7 Summit) and President and Chief Executive Officer of the World USO.

In the mid-1980's, Hagel co-founded VANGUARD Cellular Systems, Inc., a publicly traded corporation. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Hagel to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration, a nomination confirmed by the United States Senate. Hagel also served as Deputy Commissioner General of the United States for the 1982 World’s Fair. From 1977 through 1980, Hagel was Manager of Government Affairs for The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Washington, D.C. From 1971 to 1977, he was Administrative Assistant to Congressman John Y. McCollister (R-Nebraska). Beginning in 1969, Hagel worked as a newscaster and talk show host with radio stations KBON and KLNG in Omaha, Nebraska.

Hagel served in Vietnam with his brother Tom in 1968. They served side by side as infantry squad leaders with the U.S. Army’s 9th Infantry Division. Hagel earned many military decorations and honors, including two Purple Hearts.

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Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson

With a reputation for problem solving and a voting record to support his common sense approach to issues, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson has carved for himself a bipartisan role in a bitterly partisan Washington environment. In a closely-divided Senate, Nelson’s ability to cross party lines gives him an unusual amount of power and opportunity to impact major legislation.

Nelson is a native of McCook (Pop. 8000), a southwest Nebraska town that has been home to two of Nebraska’s U.S. Senators and three Governors. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1963, a master’s degree in 1965 and a law degree from the University of Nebraska in 1970.

In 1990, Ben Nelson entered the realm of Nebraska politics by running for Governor. He won the Democratic primary by only 42 votes. He won the governor’s office be besting incumbent Kay Orr by 4,000 votes. In 2000, Nelson ran for the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Senator Bob Kerrey. Nelson carried the day even as George W. Bush won Nebraska with 62% of the vote.

Ben Nelson and his wife, Diane, live in Omaha. They have four children and three grandchildren.

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