List of United States senators from Nebraska

Current delegation

Ben Sasse (R)

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.

List of senators[]

#	Senator	Party	Dates in office	Electoral history	T	C	T	Electoral history	Dates in office	Party	Senator	#
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.
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
				Elected in 1867.	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
7	William V. Allen	Populist	December 13, 1899 – March 28, 1901	Appointed to continue Hayward's term. Lost election to finish Hayward's term.
7	William V. Allen	Populist	December 13, 1899 – March 28, 1901			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.		57th		Elected in 1901 to finish vacant term. Retired.	March 28, 1901 – March 3, 1907	Republican	Joseph Millard	6
8	Charles H. Dietrich	Republican	March 28, 1901 – March 3, 1905	Elected to finish Hayward's term. Retired.		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
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		Re-elected in 1948. Died.
									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		Elected to finish Wherry's term. Died.	November 5, 1952 – April 12, 1954	Republican	Dwight P. Griswold	11
									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						April 16, 1954 – November 7, 1954	Republican	Eva Bowring	12
Vacant			July 1, 1954 – July 3, 1954					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.		94th
				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
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
To be determined in the 2024 election.					28	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

Living former U.S. senators[]

As of August 2021, there are four living former U.S. senators from Nebraska. The most recent senator to die was David 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.

Senator	Term of office	Date of birth (and age)
Bob Kerrey	1989–2001	(1943-08-27) August 27, 1943 (age 78)
Chuck Hagel	1997–2009	(1946-10-04) October 4, 1946 (age 74)
Ben Nelson	2001–2013	(1941-05-17) May 17, 1941 (age 80)
Mike Johanns	2009–2015	(1950-06-18) June 18, 1950 (age 71)

Superlatives[]

Longest service[]

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)

Shortest service[]

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)

Youngest at beginning of service[]

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

Oldest at end of service[]

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

References[]

^ The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908. New York: The Tribune Association. 1908. p. 259.
^ "Nebraska Senators". United States Senate. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[1] The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908. New York: The Tribune Association. 1908. p. 259.

[2] "Nebraska Senators". United States Senate. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[1]

[2]

show v t United States senators from Nebraska
Class 1	Tipton Paddock Van Wyck Paddock Allen Hayward Allen Dietrich Burkett G. Hitchcock Howell Thompson Hunter Burke Butler Reynolds Hruska Zorinsky Karnes Kerrey Nelson Fischer
Class 2	Thayer P. Hitchcock Saunders Manderson Thurston Millard Brown Norris Wherry Seaton Griswold Bowring Abel Curtis Exon Hagel Johanns Sasse

show v t Nebraska's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators	Deb Fischer (R) Ben Sasse (R)
Representatives (ordered by district)	Jeff Fortenberry (R) Don Bacon (R) Adrian Smith (R)

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