Nebraska was admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867, and elects its United States senators to Class 1 and Class 2. Nebraska's current Senators are Republicans Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse.
Class 1 Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. The next election will be in 2024. |
C |
Class 2 Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. The next election will be in 2026. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Dates in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Dates in office | Party | Senator | # | |
1 | ![]() Thomas Tipton |
Republican | March 1, 1867 - March 3, 1875 |
Elected in 1867. | 1 | 39th | 1 | Elected in 1867. Lost re-election. |
March 1, 1867 - March 3, 1871 |
Republican | ![]() John Thayer |
1 |
40th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1869. [data unknown/missing] |
2 | 41st | ||||||||||
42nd | 2 | Elected in 1870. Lost re-election. |
March 4, 1871 - March 3, 1877 |
Republican | ![]() Phineas Hitchcock |
2 | ||||||
43rd | ||||||||||||
2 | ![]() Algernon Paddock |
Republican | March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1881 |
Elected in 1875. Lost re-election. |
3 | 44th | ||||||
45th | 3 | Elected in 1877. [data unknown/missing] |
March 5, 1877 - March 3, 1883 |
Republican | ![]() Alvin Saunders |
3 | ||||||
46th | ||||||||||||
3 | ![]() Charles Van Wyck |
Republican | March 4, 1881 - March 3, 1887 |
Elected in 1880. Lost re-election. |
4 | 47th | ||||||
48th | 4 | Elected in 1883. | March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1895 |
Republican | ![]() Charles F. Manderson |
4 | ||||||
49th | ||||||||||||
4 | ![]() Algernon Paddock |
Republican | March 4, 1887 - March 3, 1893 |
Elected in 1886. Retired. |
5 | 50th | ||||||
51st | 5 | Re-elected in 1888. [data unknown/missing] | ||||||||||
52nd | ||||||||||||
5 | ![]() William V. Allen |
Populist | March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1899 |
Elected in 1893. Lost re-election. |
6 | 53rd | ||||||
54th | 6 | Elected in January 1895. Retired. |
March 4, 1895 - March 3, 1901 |
Republican | ![]() John Mellen Thurston |
5 | ||||||
55th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1899 - March 8, 1899 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 7 | 56th | ||||||||
6 | ![]() Monroe Hayward |
Republican | March 8, 1899 - December 5, 1899 |
Elected late. Died before qualifying. | ||||||||
Vacant | December 5, 1899 - December 13, 1899 |
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7 | ![]() William V. Allen |
Populist | December 13, 1899 - March 28, 1901 |
Appointed to continue Hayward's term. Lost election to finish Hayward's term. | ||||||||
57th | 7 | Legislature failed to elect | March 4, 1901 - March 28, 1901 |
Vacant | ||||||||
8 | ![]() Charles H. Dietrich |
Republican | March 28, 1901 - March 3, 1905 |
Elected to finish Hayward's term. Retired. |
Elected in 1901 to finish vacant term. Retired. |
March 28, 1901 - March 3, 1907 |
Republican | ![]() Joseph Millard |
6 | |||
58th | ||||||||||||
9 | ![]() Elmer Burkett |
Republican | March 4, 1905 - March 3, 1911 |
Elected January 17, 1905. Lost renomination. |
8 | 59th | ||||||
60th | 8 | Elected January 15, 1907.[1] Lost renomination. |
March 4, 1907 - March 3, 1913 |
Republican | ![]() Norris Brown |
7 | ||||||
61st | ||||||||||||
10 | ![]() Gilbert Hitchcock |
Democratic | March 4, 1911 - March 3, 1923 |
Elected January 18, 1911. | 9 | 62nd | ||||||
63rd | 9 | Elected January 21, 1913. | March 4, 1913 - January 3, 1937 |
Republican | ![]() George W. Norris |
8 | ||||||
64th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1916. Lost re-election. |
10 | 65th | ||||||||||
66th | 10 | Re-elected in 1918. | ||||||||||
67th | ||||||||||||
11 | ![]() Robert B. Howell |
Republican | March 4, 1923 - March 11, 1933 |
Elected in 1922. | 11 | 68th | ||||||
69th | 11 | Re-elected in 1924. | ||||||||||
70th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1928. Died. |
12 | 71st | ||||||||||
72nd | 12 | Re-elected in 1930. | ||||||||||
73rd | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 11, 1933 - May 24, 1933 |
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12 | ![]() William H. Thompson |
Democratic | May 24, 1933 - November 6, 1934 |
Appointed to continue Howell's term. Retired when successor qualified. | ||||||||
13 | ![]() Richard C. Hunter |
Democratic | November 7, 1934 - January 3, 1935 |
Elected to finish Howell's term. Retired. | ||||||||
14 | ![]() Edward R. Burke |
Democratic | January 3, 1935 - January 3, 1941 |
Elected in 1934. Lost renomination. |
13 | 74th | ||||||
75th | 13 | Re-elected in 1936. Lost re-election. |
January 3, 1937 - January 3, 1943 |
Independent | ||||||||
76th | ||||||||||||
15 | ![]() Hugh A. Butler |
Republican | January 3, 1941 - July 1, 1954 |
Elected in 1940. | 14 | 77th | ||||||
78th | 14 | Elected in 1942. | January 3, 1943 - November 29, 1951 |
Republican | ![]() Kenneth S. Wherry |
9 | ||||||
79th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1946. | 15 | 80th | ||||||||||
81st | 15 | Re-elected in 1948. Died. | ||||||||||
82nd | ||||||||||||
November 29, 1951 - December 10, 1951 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Wherry's term. Retired when successor elected. |
December 10, 1951 - November 4, 1952 |
Republican | ![]() Fred Andrew Seaton |
10 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Wherry's term. Died. |
November 5, 1952 - April 12, 1954 |
Republican | ![]() Dwight P. Griswold |
11 | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1952. Died. |
16 | 83rd | ||||||||||
April 12, 1954 - April 16, 1954 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Griswold's term. Retired when successor elected. |
April 16, 1954 - November 7, 1954 |
Republican | ![]() Eva Bowring |
12 | ||||||||
Vacant | July 1, 1954 - July 3, 1954 |
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Elected to finish Griswold's term. Resigned. |
November 8, 1954 - December 31, 1954 |
Republican | ![]() Hazel Abel |
13 | ||||||||
16 | ![]() Samuel W. Reynolds |
Republican | July 3, 1954 - November 7, 1954 |
Appointed to continue Butler's term. Retired when successor qualified. | ||||||||
17 | ![]() Roman Hruska |
Republican | November 8, 1954 - December 27, 1976 |
Elected to finish Butler's term. | ||||||||
Appointed to finish Griswold's term, having already been elected to the next term. | January 1, 1955 - January 3, 1979 |
Republican | ![]() Carl Curtis |
14 | ||||||||
84th | 16 | Elected in 1954. | ||||||||||
85th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1958. | 17 | 86th | ||||||||||
87th | 17 | Re-elected in 1960. | ||||||||||
88th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1964. | 18 | 89th | ||||||||||
90th | 18 | Re-elected in 1966. | ||||||||||
91st | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1970. Retired and resigned early. |
18 | 92nd | ||||||||||
93rd | 19 | Re-elected in 1972. Retired. | ||||||||||
94th | ||||||||||||
18 | ![]() Edward Zorinsky |
Democratic | December 28, 1976 - March 6, 1987 |
Appointed to finish Hruska's term, having been elected to the next term. | ||||||||
Elected in 1976. | 19 | 95th | ||||||||||
96th | 20 | Elected in 1978. | January 3, 1979 - January 3, 1997 |
Democratic | ![]() J. James Exon |
15 | ||||||
97th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1982. Died. |
20 | 98th | ||||||||||
99th | 21 | Re-elected in 1984. | ||||||||||
100th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 6, 1987 - March 11, 1987 |
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19 | David Karnes |
Republican | March 11, 1987 - January 3, 1989[2] |
Appointed to finish Zorinsky's term. Lost election to full term. | ||||||||
20 | ![]() Bob Kerrey |
Democratic | January 3, 1989 - January 3, 2001 |
Elected in 1988. | 21 | 101st | ||||||
102nd | 22 | Re-elected in 1990. Retired. | ||||||||||
103rd | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1994. Retired. |
22 | 104th | ||||||||||
105th | 23 | Elected in 1996. | January 3, 1997 - January 3, 2009 |
Republican | ![]() Chuck Hagel |
16 | ||||||
106th | ||||||||||||
21 | ![]() Ben Nelson |
Democratic | January 3, 2001 - January 3, 2013 |
Elected in 2000. | 24 | 107th | ||||||
108th | 24 | Re-elected in 2002. Retired. | ||||||||||
109th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2006. Retired. |
25 | 110th | ||||||||||
111th | 25 | Elected in 2008. Retired. |
January 3, 2009 - January 3, 2015 |
Republican | ![]() Mike Johanns |
17 | ||||||
112th | ||||||||||||
22 | ![]() Deb Fischer |
Republican | January 3, 2013 - Present |
Elected in 2012. | 26 | 113th | ||||||
114th | 26 | Elected in 2014. | January 3, 2015 - Present |
Republican | ![]() Ben Sasse |
18 | ||||||
115th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2018. | 27 | 116th | ||||||||||
117th | 27 | Re-elected in 2020. | ||||||||||
118th | ||||||||||||
To be determined in the 2024 election. | 28 | 119th | ||||||||||
120th | 28 | To be determined in the 2026 election. | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Class 1 | Class 2 |
As of June 2022David Karnes (served 1987-1989) on October 25, 2020. The most recently serving senator to die was J. James Exon (served 1979-1997) on June 10, 2005.
, there are four living former U.S. senators from Nebraska. The most recent senator to die wasSenator | Term of office | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Bob Kerrey | 1989-2001 | August 27, 1943 |
Chuck Hagel | 1997-2009 | October 4, 1946 |
Ben Nelson | 2001-2013 | May 17, 1941 |
Mike Johanns | 2009-2015 | June 18, 1950 |
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
George W. Norris | March 4, 1913 | January 3, 1943 | 29 years, 305 days (10,897 days) |
Carl Curtis | January 1, 1955 | January 3, 1979 | 24 years, 2 days (8,768 days) |
Roman Hruska | November 8, 1954 | December 27, 1976 | 22 years, 49 days (8,085 days) |
J. James Exon | January 3, 1979 | January 3, 1997 | 18 years, 0 days (6,575 days) |
Hugh A. Butler | January 3, 1941 | July 1, 1954 | 13 years, 179 days (4,927 days) |
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
Hazel Abel | November 8, 1954 | December 31, 1954 | 1 month, 3 weeks and 2 days (53 days) |
Richard C. Hunter | November 7, 1934 | January 3, 1935 | 1 month, 3 weeks and 6 days (57 days) |
Samuel W. Reynolds | July 3, 1954 | November 7, 1954 | 4 months and 4 days (127 days) |
Eva Bowring | April 16, 1954 | November 7, 1954 | 6 months, 3 weeks and 1 day (205 days) |
Fred A. Seaton | December 10, 1951 | November 4, 1952 | 10 months, 3 weeks and 4 days (330 days) |
Senator | Date of birth | First served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Elmer Burkett | December 1, 1867 | March 4, 1905 | 37 years, 3 months and 3 days |
David Karnes | December 12, 1948 | March 11, 1987 | 38 years, 2 months and 27 days |
Phineas Hitchcock | November 30, 1831 | March 4, 1871 | 39 years, 3 months and 4 days |
Fred A. Seaton | December 11, 1909 | December 10, 1951 | 41 years, 11 months and 29 days |
Ben Sasse | February 22, 1972 | January 3, 2015 | 42 years, 10 months and 12 days |
Senator | Date of birth | Last served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
George W. Norris | July 11, 1861 | January 3, 1943 | 81 years, 5 months and 23 days |
William Henry Thompson | December 14, 1853 | November 6, 1934 | 80 years, 10 months and 23 days |
Hugh A. Butler | February 28, 1878 | July 1, 1954 | 76 years, 4 months and 3 days |
J. James Exon | August 9, 1921 | January 3, 1997 | 75 years, 4 months and 25 days |
Carl Curtis | March 15, 1905 | January 3, 1979 | 73 years, 9 months and 19 days |