NU Regent Hassebrook announces he will run for Senate

University of Nebraska Regent Chuck Hassebrook, a democrat from Lyons, Neb., announced he is running for U.S. Senate Tuesday.

Hassebrook, if elected, would take Sen. Ben Nelson's seat. His announcement came a week after former Sen. Bob Kerrey announced he would not run for re-election.

"I feel called to run for the U.S. Senate," Hassebrook said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon.

"I've spent my entire life to create a better future in Nebraska."

Hassebrook has been with the Center for Rural Affairs for 35 years and is currently the executive director.

For the last 18 years, he has been on the NU Board of Regents, working to make higher education more affordable and make sure the university is doing all it can, he said.

"Running for the senate is an opportunity for me to step it up a notch," Hassebrook said. "To do more to build a stronger Nebraskan, a stronger American."

Because he is running for the senate position, Hassebrook said he cannot run for re-election on the board. He said he'll be a very active regent until his term ends in December.

Hassebrook is the only Democrat to make the decision to run for the Senate seat in November. Three candidates are vying for the Republican nomination: Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, State Treasurer Don Stenberg and state Sen. Deb Fischer.

Hassebrook is a viable, credible candidate, according to Mike Wagner, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Wagner wrote in an email that Hassebrook, while having shown he can raise money, faces significant challenges when it comes to name recognition, raising enough money and overcoming the partisan registration for republicans in Nebraska.

"He helps give the Democrats credibility in a statewide race, but he is not likely at all to win," Wagner wrote. "The Democratic Party in Nebraska has made some inroads … but not enough to pose, in general, a serious challenge to Republicans in statewide races."

One of the issues Hassebrook is running on is investing in the future of America, starting with protecting programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, Hassebrook said.

"We need to make sure those programs are fiscally sound," he said. "I think it is eminently reasonable we ask the highest of income of Americans to give back the Bush tax cuts."

Hassebrook also said if Nebraskans select him as senator, he will be very active when it comes to conservation programs that reward farmers who do a good job protecting the land and the water.

But in order to achieve these issues, Hassebrook must convince Nebraska voters.

Wagner wrote that Hassebrook is less likely to raise the amount of money that Nelson or Kerrey would have.

"The seat is important because it brings the Republicans closer to a senate majority, though they are not at all likely to win enough seats to stop filibusters," Wagner wrote. "So some measure of partisan gridlock is still likely after 2012."

Hassebrook sees this challenge.

"We're at a critical point in history," Hassebrook said. "Today, in Washington, it's not working for ordinary families. It's working for the rich and powerful and not working to make America a stronger nation. We need to get it back on track."

franniesprouls@dailynebraskan.com

— Dan Holtmeyer contributed to this report.