Senator Ben Nelson served two-terms in the United States Senate representing the State of Nebraska from 2001-2013. During his tenure, he earned a reputation as a moderate who was adept at bringing his colleagues on both sides of the aisle together to find compromises on some of the biggest issues facing the country.

Earlier in his career, Senator Nelson was Governor of Nebraska. As governor, he pledged to bridge the gap between rural and urban areas to move forward as "One Nebraska" and to create a more efficient and effective state government. In 1994, he became the first Nebraska Governor to be elected to a second term in two decades.
 

Senator Nelson earned a bachelor's degree in 1963, a master's degree in 1965 and a law degree in 1970 — all from the University of Nebraska. Nelson also received the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Nebraska College of Law and an honorary doctor of letters from the University of Nebraska in 2013.