Ben Nelson
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Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is the junior U.S. Senator from Nebraska, where he was born and has lived for most of his life. Nelson is a Methodist. A Democrat, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, and is now the leading conservative Democrat in the Senate. The April 2006 Survey USA poll found him to be the most popular senator in the country, with a 73% approval rating from his constituents. In the most recent poll, his approval rating was 68%.
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[edit] Political career
[edit] Governor
Nelson was elected governor in the state's fourth-closest gubernatorial race in history (himself only winning the Democratic Party (United States) nomination by 42 votes) in 1990, and was easily re-elected in 1994. During his first race for governor, he ran against Kay A. Orr, the first elected Republican Party (United States) woman in Nebraska.
During the 1990 campaign, Nelson attacked her support for a proposed low-level nuclear waste dump in the state. During his tenure, the Nebraska State Department of Environmental Quality denied the dump's application for an operating license, prompting a law-suit which Nebraska settled for $145 million.
During his tenure in office, Nelson oversaw the only three executions in the state of Nebraska since the lifting of the moratorium in 1973.
Nelson ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1996, but was defeated by Republican businessman and Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel in one of the noteworthy political upsets of 1996. Nelson left the governor's office in January 1999 after two terms (he was ineligible to run again because of term limits); he was succeeded by Republican Mike Johanns. When he left office, the state had a General Fund surplus balance of almost $300 million and a rainy day fund of $145 million. Nelson cut the sales tax and income tax and cut $157 million in spending. He also was able to passed 8 balanced budgets without resorting to special sessions.
[edit] Election to the Senate
Nelson was again nominated by the Democrats for the Senate in U.S. Senate election, 2000 after his fellow Democrat, incumbent Bob Kerrey, announced his retirement. Nelson won that election with 50.99% of the vote after a campaign in which he spent 50% more ($1,004,985) than his opponent, although the race was also inundated with funding from outside groups and the national parties.
In November 2004, it was widely rumored that President Bush would choose Nelson as his agriculture secretary in the cabinet. In the end, the position went to Nelson's gubernatorial successor Mike Johanns.
[edit] External Links
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