Ben Nelson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ben Nelson
United States Senator from Nebraska
In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Bob Kerrey
Succeeded by	Deb Fischer
37th Governor of Nebraska
In office January 9, 1991 – January 7, 1999
Lieutenant	Maxine Moul Kim Robak
Preceded by	Kay Orr
Succeeded by	Mike Johanns
Director of the Nebraska Department of Insurance
In office 1975–1976
Governor	J. James Exon
Preceded by	James M. Jackson
Succeeded by	Berri Balka
Personal details
Born	Earl Benjamin Nelson (1941-05-17) May 17, 1941 (age 84) McCook, Nebraska, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Diane Nelson
Education	University of Nebraska–Lincoln (BA, MA, JD)

Earl Benjamin Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He served as the 37th Governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999. Later, he was a U.S. Senator for Nebraska from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. As of 2025, he is the last Democrat to win a statewide election in Nebraska.

Before entering politics, Nelson worked as an insurance executive. He first ran for governor in 1990, winning against the Republican governor, Kay Orr. He was reelected by a large amount in 1994. In 1996, he ran for a U.S. Senate seat but lost. He was elected to Nebraska's other Senate seat in 2000 and won reelection in 2006. He decided not to run for a third term in 2012. He was followed by Republican Deb Fischer.

During his time in the Senate, Nelson was known as a very conservative Democrat. This meant he often voted differently from other members of his party.

Early Life and Education

Earl Benjamin Nelson was born on May 17, 1941, in McCook, Nebraska. He was the only child of Birdella and Benjamin Earl Nelson. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.

He attended the University of Nebraska. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in 1963. He then received a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 1965. Finally, he earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, which is a law degree, in 1970.

After finishing law school, Nelson worked as a lawyer for an insurance company. In 1975, the governor appointed him as the state's insurance director. After a change in governors, he went back to work for the insurance company. He eventually became its president.

Political Career

Nelson became involved in state politics and joined the Democratic Party. In 1986, he helped lead the campaign for Democrat Helen Boosalis, who was running for governor. She lost the election to Republican Kay Orr.

Governor of Nebraska

Nelson first ran for governor in 1990. He won by a very small number of votes against the current governor, Kay Orr. In 1994, he was reelected with 73% of the votes. This was the largest victory margin for a governor in Nebraska in 50 years.

As governor, Nelson worked to cut state spending. He also introduced laws to reduce crime, like the Safe Streets Act. He supported health care for families with lower incomes through the Kids Connection system. He also made changes to welfare programs. Additionally, he cut taxes for many middle-income families.

Nelson took some conservative positions while governor, which fit well with Nebraska's political views. For example, he pushed for welfare reform before it became a national policy. He also disagreed with President Bill Clinton's ideas about health care.

During his 1990 campaign, Nelson spoke out against a plan for a nuclear waste dump in the state. As governor, his administration stopped the dump's application. This led to a lawsuit, which Nebraska settled for $145 million.

In 1996, Nelson ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He lost to Republican businessman Chuck Hagel.

Nelson could not run for governor again in 1998 because of Nebraska's term-limits law. He was followed by Mike Johanns, a Republican. As of 2025, Nelson is the last Democrat to have served as governor of Nebraska.

U.S. Senator

2000 Election

Senator Ben Nelson (right) with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

In 2000, Nelson was chosen by the Democrats to run for the Senate. The current Democratic senator, Bob Kerrey, was retiring. Nelson's opponent was Attorney General Don Stenberg. Nelson won the election with about 51% of the votes. He spent more money on his campaign than Stenberg.

2006 Election

Election results by county for Nelson's 2006 reelection bid

Many people thought Nelson might lose his Senate seat in 2006. It was believed that his successor as governor, Mike Johanns, would run against him. However, Johanns was appointed as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. With Johanns moving to Washington, few other well-known Republicans ran against Nelson. The Republican nomination went to Pete Ricketts, a former business executive.

In the general election, Nelson received support from many groups. These included the National Rifle Association of America, Nebraska Right to Life, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He also had support from farmers' unions and police unions.

Nelson defeated Ricketts with 64% of the vote. This was the biggest win for a Democratic Senate candidate in Nebraska since 1982. He even won votes from many Republicans and independent voters. He won almost all counties in the state, which was surprising for a Democrat in Republican-leaning Nebraska.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Senators Ben Nelson and Jim Webb before a hearing on the START Treaty.

Political Positions

Earmarks

In 2007, Senator Tom Coburn criticized some spending requests, called "earmarks," that Nelson had added to a defense spending bill. Coburn suggested these earmarks might benefit a company where Nelson's son worked. Nelson's spokesperson said he did nothing wrong. Nelson later removed the amendment to be extra careful. Some groups that watch government spending said the earmark likely did not break ethics rules.

Health Care and "Cornhusker Kickback"

In late 2009, the Senate was debating a major health care bill called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. To pass the bill, Democrats needed 60 votes to stop a filibuster by Republicans. Nelson was the 60th and final senator to vote for this.

The bill included a special part for Nebraska. It would give the state full federal money for its Medicaid program. This was estimated to be $100 million.

This part of the bill was very controversial. Opponents called it the "Cornhusker Kickback." Nebraska's Republican governor, Dave Heineman, also criticized it. Nelson explained that he was trying to remove a rule that made states pay for federal programs without getting enough money back. He said the Nebraska item was meant to be a "placeholder." This meant it would be replaced later with a plan to help all states with their Medicaid costs.

After his vote, Nelson's popularity in Nebraska dropped. His approval rating fell from 78% to 42%. Many people thought his political career was over.

Later, Democrats lost their 60-vote majority in the Senate. The health care bill was then passed using a different process that needed only a simple majority. Nelson voted against this final version of the bill. He said his opposition was due to new parts of the bill related to student loans. These parts would negatively affect a student-lending company in Nebraska. Even though he voted against it, he later said he would fight to improve the law, not to cancel it.

Iraq

In 2007, Nelson was one of two Democratic senators who voted against a plan to withdraw most American troops from Iraq. He had visited Iraq four times. He believed that the mission in Iraq needed to change, rather than having all troops leave. He thought that Iraqi forces should take on more responsibility for security. U.S. forces could then focus on protecting borders and finding al-Qaeda groups.

Nelson, along with Senators Susan Collins and John Warner, created a list of goals, or "benchmarks," for Iraq. These benchmarks were included in a bill about Iraq. They helped measure progress in areas like protecting minority groups and sharing oil money. President George W. Bush and General David Petraeus had to report on how Iraq was meeting these goals.

Nelson and Collins also proposed a law to move U.S. troops out of Baghdad. This law suggested that Iraqi forces would handle internal security. The U.S. military would then secure borders and protect important buildings.

Judicial Appointments

Nelson was a key Democratic senator in the "Gang of 14." This group of 14 senators worked together in 2005. They found a way to compromise on how Democrats could block some of President Bush's choices for judges. This stopped Republicans from changing Senate rules to make it easier to approve judges.

Under their agreement, Democrats would only block a judge in "extraordinary circumstances." Three of Bush's judge choices were then allowed to have a full Senate vote. Nelson was the only Democrat to vote to confirm one of these judges, Janice Rogers Brown. He was also the first Democratic senator to support Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court of the United States. Nelson believed that the president's choices for judges should get a vote, even if some groups in Washington didn't like them.

Same-Sex Marriage

In 1996, Nelson supported a law to prevent Nebraska from recognizing same-sex marriages from other states. He also supported Initiative 416. This was an amendment to Nebraska's constitution that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

Taxes

Nelson was one of five Democratic senators who voted for the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. This law called for $1.35 trillion in tax cuts over 11 years. He also voted for the 2003 tax cut, which sped up many parts of the 2001 tax cut.

In 2009, a group called Americans for Tax Reform said Nelson was the only Democratic senator who had signed their "Taxpayer Protection Pledge." This pledge meant he would oppose tax increases.

In 2012, Nelson helped propose a bill that would allow states to collect sales taxes on online and catalog sales. Supporters said this would make it fair for local businesses. Opponents argued it would be too hard for online sellers to keep track of all the different state and local sales taxes.

Other Votes

Nelson's votes in the Senate often differed from his party's leaders. He was considered one of the most conservative Democrats. For example, in 2006, a rating placed him to the right of five Republican senators. In 2012, the American Conservative Union gave him the highest rating of any Democratic senator.

He was one of only two Democratic senators to vote against a campaign finance reform bill in 2002. He also voted with Republicans on issues like bankruptcy reform and trade. In 2006, he was the only Democratic senator to vote against a bill that would have expanded federal funding for stem cell research. However, he consistently voted against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also opposed President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq.

In 2010, Nelson was the only Democrat to vote against Elena Kagan's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. In December 2010, he voted with Democrats to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This policy had prevented openly gay people from serving in the military.

Post-Senate Career

In January 2013, after leaving the Senate, Nelson became the chief executive officer of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. This group sets standards for state insurance agencies across the U.S. He left this role in January 2016 and returned to his private law practice.

Electoral History

See also

• Conservative Democrat

Images for kids

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  Official photo of Ben Nelson

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  Senator Ben Nelson (right) with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer

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  Map of election results by county for Nelson's 2006 reelection

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  Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Senators Ben Nelson and Jim Webb