Nebraska was admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867, and elects its United States Senators to Class I and Class II. Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns are Nebraska's current senators. [edit] Class I | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Reason | Other offices/Notes | | Thomas Tipton |  | Republican | March 1, 1867 | March 4, 1875 | | | | Algernon Paddock |  | Republican | March 4, 1875 | March 4, 1881 | Lost re-election | | | Charles Van Wyck |  | Republican | March 4, 1881 | March 4, 1887 | Lost re-election | U.S. Representative (1859–1863; 1867–1869; 1870–1871) | | Algernon S. Paddock | | Republican | March 4, 1887 | March 4, 1893 | | | | William V. Allen |  | Populist | March 4, 1893 | March 4, 1899 | Lost re-election | | | Monroe Hayward |  | Republican | March 8, 1899 | December 5, 1899 | Died | Hayward died before qualifying | | William V. Allen | | Populist | December 13, 1899 | March 28, 1901 | Successor qualified[1] | | | Charles H. Dietrich |  | Republican | March 28, 1901 | March 4, 1905 | Retired | Governor of Nebraska (1901) | | Elmer Burkett |  | Republican | March 4, 1905 | March 4, 1911 | Lost renomination | U.S. Representative (1899–1905) | | Gilbert Hitchcock |  | Democratic | March 4, 1911 | March 4, 1923 | Lost re-election | U.S. Representative (1903–1905; 1907–1911) | | Robert B. Howell |  | Republican | March 4, 1923 | March 11, 1933 | Died | | | William H. Thompson | | Democratic | May 24, 1933 | November 26, 1934 | Successor qualified[2] | Judge of the Nebraska Supreme Court (1924–1931) | | Richard C. Hunter | | Democratic | November 7, 1934 | January 3, 1935 | Term expired[3] | | | Edward R. Burke |  | Democratic | January 3, 1935 | January 3, 1941 | Lost renomination | U.S. Representative (1933–1935) | | Hugh A. Butler |  | Republican | January 3, 1941 | July 1, 1954 | Died | | | Samuel W. Reynolds |  | Republican | July 3, 1954 | November 7, 1954 | Successor qualified[4] | | | Roman Hruska |  | Republican | November 8, 1954 | December 27, 1976 | Resigned[5] | U.S. Representative (1953–1954) | | Edward Zorinsky |  | Democratic | December 28, 1976 | March 6, 1987 | Died | | | David K. Karnes |  | Republican | March 11, 1987 | January 3, 1989 | Resigned[6] | | | Bob Kerrey |  | Democratic | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 2001 | Retired | Governor of Nebraska (1983–1987)
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient (1969) | | Ben Nelson |  | Democratic | January 3, 2001 | Present | Incumbent | Governor of Nebraska (1991–1999) | [edit] Class II | Senator | Party | Took office | Left office | Reason | Other offices/Notes | | John Thayer |  | Republican | March 1, 1867 | March 4, 1871 | Lost re-election | Governor of Nebraska (1887–1891)
Governor of the Wyoming Territory (1875–1879) | | Phineas Hitchcock |  | Republican | March 4, 1871 | March 4, 1877 | Lost re-election | Nebraska Territory's Delegate to Congress (1865–1867) | | Alvin Saunders |  | Republican | March 5, 1877 | March 4, 1883 | | Governor of the Nebraska Territory (1861–1867) | | Charles F. Manderson |  | Republican | March 4, 1883 | March 4, 1895 | | President pro tempore (1891–1893) | | John Mellen Thurston |  | Republican | March 4, 1895 | March 4, 1901 | Retired | Commissioner, St. Louis Exposition (1901) | | Joseph Millard |  | Republican | March 28, 1901 | March 4, 1907 | Retired | | | Norris Brown |  | Republican | March 4, 1907 | March 4, 1913 | Lost re-election | U.S. Representative (1903–1913)
"Father of the TVA" | | George W. Norris |  | Republican | March 4, 1913 | January 3, 1943 | | | Independent | | Kenneth S. Wherry |  | Republican | January 3, 1943 | November 29, 1951 | Died | Senate Republican Leader (1949–1952)
Senate Republican Whip (1944–1949) | | Fred Andrew Seaton |  | Republican | December 10, 1951 | November 4, 1952 | Successor elected[7] | Secretary of the Interior (1956–1961) | | Dwight P. Griswold |  | Republican | November 5, 1952 | April 12, 1954 | Died | Governor of Nebraska (1940–1946) | | Eva Bowring |  | Republican | April 16, 1954 | November 7, 1954 | Successor elected[8] | | | Hazel Abel | | Republican | November 8, 1954 | December 31, 1954 | Resigned | | | Carl Curtis |  | Republican | January 1, 1955 | January 3, 1979 | Retired | U.S. Representative (1939–1954) | | J. James Exon |  | Democratic | January 3, 1979 | January 3, 1997 | Retired | Governor of Nebraska (1971-1979) | | Chuck Hagel |  | Republican | January 3, 1997 | January 3, 2009 | Retired | | | Mike Johanns |  | Republican | January 3, 2009 | Incumbent | United States Secretary of Agriculture (2005–2007)
Governor of Nebraska (1999-2005) | [edit] See also [edit] References - ^ Allen was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Monroe Hayward, but was not a candidate in the election to fill the vacancy.
- ^ Thompson was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of Robert Howell, but was not a candidate in the special election.
- ^ Hunter was appointed to fill the remainder of the term, but was not a candidate for election to the term beginning January 3, 1935.
- ^ Reynolds was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Hugh Butler, but was not a candidate in the special election to fill remainder of the term.
- ^ Hruska was not a candidate for re-election in 1976, and resigned early.
- ^ Karnes was appointed to the seat to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Edward Zorinsky, but lost the election for the subsequent six-year term and resigned early.
- ^ Seaton was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Kenneth Wherry, but was not a candidate in the special election.
- ^ Bowring was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dwight Griswold, but was not a candidate in the special election.
| United States Senators from Nebraska | | | Class 1 | |  | | | Class 2 | | | |
