Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse to resign his Senate seat to become University of Florida president, source tells CNN

By Manu Raju and Jeff Zeleny, CNN

Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska plans to resign from the Senate by the end of the year to take a job as the president of the University of Florida, according to a source familiar with the deliberations.

The University of Florida’s presidential search committee voted unanimously to name Sasse as their sole finalist for president of the university, the source said. Now, Sasse will go to Florida and meet with students and staff. Then there needs to be a vote by the University of Florida board of trustees and board of governors to formalize the process. All that is expected to happen over the next several weeks and into November.

“When he accepts that offer, he would resign,” the source said. “We anticipate this will happen by the end of the year.”

KFAB News was first to report on the planned resignation. CNN has reached out to Sasse’s office for comment.

A Sasse resignation would not change the balance of power in the Senate, with his seat to be temporarily filled by an appointment made by outgoing Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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