Nebraska GOP governor hands Senate seat to predecessor, who spent heavily to elect him

In one of his first acts as Nebraska’s governor, Republican Jim Pillen named his predecessor to the state’s vacant U.S. Senate seat on Thursday.

Pillen surprised no one in naming fellow Republican Pete Ricketts to the seat vacated Sunday by Ben Sasse.

The governor said 111 people applied for the vacant seat.

“I don’t believe in placeholders. I believe that every day matters. … placeholders don’t have any accountability to the people,” Pillen said.