List of United States senators from Nebraska

Nebraska was admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867, and elects its United States senators to class 1 and class 2. George W. Norris was the state’s longest serving senator (served 1913–1943). Nebraska's current senators are Republicans Deb Fischer (since 2013) and Pete Ricketts (since 2023).

List of senators

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=5 | 1 | rowspan=5 align=left | <br/>Thomas Tipton<br /> | rowspan=5 | Republican | rowspan=5 nowrap | Mar 1, 1867 –<br/>Mar 3, 1875 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1867. | rowspan=2 | 1 | | rowspan=3 | 1 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1867.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 1, 1867 –<br/>Mar 3, 1871 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | <br/>John Thayer<br /> ! rowspan=3 | 1

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1869. | rowspan=3 | 2 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 2 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1870.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1871 –<br/>Mar 3, 1877 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | <br/>Phineas Hitchcock<br /> ! rowspan=3 | 2

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 2 | rowspan=3 align=left | <br/>Algernon Paddock<br /> | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1875 –<br/>Mar 3, 1881 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1875.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 | 3 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 3 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1877. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1877 –<br/>Mar 3, 1883 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | <br/>Alvin Saunders<br /> ! rowspan=3 | 3

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 3 | rowspan=3 align=left | <br/>Charles Van Wyck<br /> | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1881 –<br/>Mar 3, 1887 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1880.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 | 4 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 4 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1883. | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1883 –<br/>Mar 3, 1895 | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 align=right | <br/>Charles F. Manderson<br /> ! rowspan=6 | 4

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 4 | rowspan=3 align=left | <br/>Algernon Paddock<br /> | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1887 –<br/>Mar 3, 1893 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1886.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 5 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 5 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1888.

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 5 | rowspan=3 align=left | <br/>William V. Allen<br /> | rowspan=3 | Populist | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1893 –<br/>Mar 3, 1899 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1893.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 | 6 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=6 | 6 | rowspan=6 | Elected in 1895.Retired. | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1895 –<br/>Mar 3, 1901 | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 align=right | <br/>John M. Thurston<br /> ! rowspan=6 | 5

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|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Mar 4, 1899 –<br/>Mar 8, 1899 | Legislature failed to elect. | rowspan=7 | 7 | rowspan=4

|- style="height:2em" ! 6 | align=left | <br/>Monroe Hayward<br /> | | Republican | nowrap | Mar 8, 1899 –<br/>Dec 5, 1899 | Elected late.Died before qualifying.

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Dec 5, 1899 –<br/>Dec 13, 1899 | &nbsp;

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 7 | rowspan=2 align=left | <br/>William V. Allen<br /> | rowspan=2 | Populist | rowspan=2 nowrap | Dec 13, 1899 –<br/>Mar 28, 1901 | rowspan=2 | Appointed to continue Hayward's term.Lost election to finish Hayward's term.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=4 | 7 | Legislature failed to elect | nowrap | Mar 4, 1901 –<br/>Mar 28, 1901 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 8 | rowspan=2 align=left | <br/>Charles H. Dietrich<br /> | rowspan=2 | Republican | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 28, 1901 –<br/>Mar 3, 1905 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1901 to finish Hayward's term.Retired. | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1901 to finish vacant term.Retired. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 28, 1901 –<br/>Mar 3, 1907 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | <br/>Joseph Millard<br /> ! rowspan=3 | 6

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 9 | rowspan=3 align=left | <br/>Elmer Burkett<br /> | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1905 –<br/>Mar 3, 1911 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1905.Lost renomination. | rowspan=3 | 8 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 8 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1907.Lost renomination. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1907 –<br/>Mar 3, 1913 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | <br/>Norris Brown<br /> ! rowspan=3 | 7

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=6 | 10 | rowspan=6 align=left | <br/>Gilbert Hitchcock<br /> | rowspan=6 | Democratic | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1911 –<br/>Mar 3, 1923 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1911. | rowspan=3 | 9 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 9 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1913. | rowspan=15 nowrap | Mar 4, 1913 –<br/>Jan 3, 1937 | rowspan=15 | Republican | rowspan=18 align=right | <br/>George W. Norris<br /> ! rowspan=18 | 8

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1916.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 | 10 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 10 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1918.

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=6 | 11 | rowspan=6 align=left | <br/>Robert B. Howell<br /> | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1923 –<br/>Mar 11, 1933 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1922. | rowspan=3 | 11 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 11 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1924.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1928.Died. | rowspan=6 | 12 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=6 | 12 | rowspan=6 | Re-elected in 1930.

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|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Mar 11, 1933 –<br/>May 24, 1933 | &nbsp;

|- style="height:2em" ! 12 | align=left |<br/>William H. Thompson<br /> | | Democratic | nowrap | May 24, 1933 –<br/>Nov 6, 1934 | Appointed to continue Howell's term.Retired when successor qualified.

|- style="height:2em" ! 13 | align=left |<br/>Richard C. Hunter<br /> | | Democratic | nowrap | Nov 7, 1934 –<br/>Jan 3, 1935 | Elected to finish Howell's term.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 14 | rowspan=3 align=left | <br/>Edward R. Burke<br /> | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 nowrap | Jan 3, 1935 –<br/>Jan 3, 1941 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1934.Lost renomination. | rowspan=3 | 13 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 13 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1936.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Jan 3, 1937 –<br/>Jan 3, 1943 | rowspan=3 | Independent

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=12 | 15 | rowspan=12 align=left | <br/>Hugh A. Butler<br /> | rowspan=12 | Republican | rowspan=12 nowrap | Jan 3, 1941 –<br/>Jul 1, 1954 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1940. | rowspan=3 | 14 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 14 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1942. | rowspan=5 nowrap | Jan 3, 1943 –<br/>Nov 29, 1951 | rowspan=5 | Republican | rowspan=5 align=right | <br/>Kenneth S. Wherry<br /> ! rowspan=5 | 9

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=6 | Re-elected in 1946. | rowspan=6 | 15 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=13 | 15 | rowspan=2 | Re-elected in 1948.Died.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4

|- style="height:2em" | &nbsp; | nowrap | Nov 29, 1951 –<br/>Dec 10, 1951 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | Appointed to continue Wherry's term.Retired when successor elected. | nowrap | Dec 10, 1951 –<br/>Nov 4, 1952 | | Republican | align=right | <br/>Fred A. Seaton<br /> ! 10

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1952 to finish Wherry's term.Died. | rowspan=2 nowrap | Nov 5, 1952 –<br/>Apr 12, 1954 | rowspan=2 | Republican | rowspan=2 align=right | <br/>Dwight Griswold<br /> ! rowspan=2 | 11

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1952.<br/>Died. | rowspan=10 | 16 | rowspan=8

|- style="height:2em" | &nbsp; | nowrap | Apr 12, 1954 –<br/>Apr 16, 1954 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | Appointed to continue Wherry's term.Retired when successor elected. | rowspan=2 | Apr 16, 1954 –<br/>Nov 7, 1954 | rowspan=2 | Republican | rowspan=2 align=right | <br/>Eva Bowring<br /> ! rowspan=2 | 12

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 colspan=3 | Vacant | rowspan=2 nowrap | Jul 1, 1954 –<br/>Jul 3, 1954 | rowspan=2 | &nbsp;

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1954 to finish Wherry's term.Resigned. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Nov 8, 1954 –<br/>Dec 31, 1954 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | <br/>Hazel Abel<br /> ! rowspan=3 | 13

|- style="height:2em" ! 16 | align=left | <br/>Samuel W. Reynolds<br /> | | Republican | nowrap | Jul 3, 1954 –<br/>Nov 7, 1954 | Appointed to continue Butler's term.Retired when successor qualified.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=13 | 17 | rowspan=13 align=left | <br/>Roman Hruska<br /> | rowspan=13 | Republican | rowspan=13 nowrap | Nov 8, 1954 –<br/>Dec 27, 1976 | rowspan=4 | Elected in 1954 to finish Butler's term.

|- style="height:2em" | Appointed to finish Wherry's term, having already been elected to the next term. | rowspan=14 nowrap | Jan 1, 1955 –<br/>Jan 3, 1979 | rowspan=14 | Republican | rowspan=14 align=right | <br/>Carl Curtis<br /> ! rowspan=14 | 14

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 16 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1954.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1958. | rowspan=3 | 17 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 17 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1960.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1964. | rowspan=3 | 18 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 18 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1966.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1970.Retired and resigned early. | rowspan=4 | 18 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=4 | 19 | rowspan=4 | Re-elected in 1972.Retired.

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=7 | 18 | rowspan=7 align=left | <br/>Edward Zorinsky<br /> | rowspan=7 | Democratic | rowspan=7 nowrap | Dec 28, 1976 –<br/>Mar 6, 1987 | Appointed to finish Hruska's term, having been elected to the next term.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1976. | rowspan=3 | 19 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 20 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1978. | rowspan=11 nowrap | Jan 3, 1979 –<br/>Jan 3, 1997 | rowspan=11 | Democratic | rowspan=11 align=right | <br/>J. James Exon<br /> ! rowspan=11 | 15

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1982.Died. | rowspan=5 | 20 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=5 | 21 | rowspan=5 | Re-elected in 1984.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Mar 6, 1987 –<br/>Mar 11, 1987 | &nbsp;

|- style="height:2em" ! 19 | align=left | <br/>David Karnes<br /> | | Republican | nowrap | Mar 11, 1987 –<br/> Jan 3, 1989 | Appointed to finish Zorinsky's term.Lost election to full term.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=6 | 20 | rowspan=6 align=left | <br/>Bob Kerrey<br /> | rowspan=6 | Democratic | rowspan=6 nowrap | Jan 3, 1989 –<br/>Jan 3, 2001 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1988. | rowspan=3 | 21 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 22 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1990.Retired.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1994.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 22 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 23 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1996. | rowspan=6 nowrap | Jan 3, 1997 –<br/>Jan 3, 2009 | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 align=right | <br/>Chuck Hagel<br /> ! rowspan=6 | 16

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=6 | 21 | rowspan=6 align=left | <br/>Ben Nelson<br /> | rowspan=6 | Democratic | rowspan=6 nowrap | Jan 3, 2001 –<br/>Jan 3, 2013 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 2000. | rowspan=3 | 24 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 24 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 2002.Retired.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 2006.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 25 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 25 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 2008.Retired. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Jan 3, 2009 –<br/>Jan 3, 2015 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | <br/>Mike Johanns<br /> ! rowspan=3 | 17

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=10 | 22 | rowspan=10 align=left | <br/>Deb Fischer<br /> | rowspan=10 | Republican | rowspan=10 nowrap | Jan 3, 2013 –<br/>present | rowspan=3 | Elected in 2012. | rowspan=3 | 26 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 26 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 2014. | rowspan=5 nowrap | Jan 3, 2015 –<br/>Jan 8, 2023 | rowspan=5 | Republican | rowspan=5 align=right | <br/>Ben Sasse<br /> ! rowspan=5 | 18

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=5 | Re-elected in 2018. | rowspan=5 | 27 |

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=5 | 27 | rowspan=2 | Re-elected in 2020.Resigned to become President of the University of Florida.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan="3"

|- style="height:2em" | | nowrap | Jan 8, 2023 –<br/>Jan 12, 2023 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan="2"| Appointed to continue Sasse's term.Elected in 2024 to finish Sasse's term. | rowspan="2"| Jan 12, 2023 –<br/>present | rowspan="2" | Republican | rowspan="2" align=right | <br/>Pete Ricketts<br /> ! rowspan="2"| 19

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2| Re-elected in 2024. | rowspan=2|28 |

|- style="height:2em" | | 28 | colspan=5 | To be determined in the 2026 election.

See also

• Elections in Nebraska
• List of United States representatives from Nebraska
• Nebraska's congressional delegations

References