Path to Power
Nelson was born May 17, 1941, in McCook, Neb., to Benjamin and Birdella Nelson and is an only child. A community foundation in McCook announced plans in 2009 to commission a sculpture of Nelson with his parents. The statue will portray a scene from his younger days, with Birdella pinning Nelson’s Eagle Scout award on his chest while Benjamin looks on. Nelson said he is “humbled” by the recognition from the town, where he is viewed as something of a favorite son and still owns his boyhood home.
Nelson’s earliest experience in politics came in high school, when he was elected governor of Nebraska’s model legislature, a statewide event for teens called the Hi-Y. Nelson says he was inspired to run by Ralph Brooks (D), a former principal at his high school who won an unlikely term as governor in 1958. “I grew up realizing that being from McCook, Nebraska, was not a handicap,” Nelson said. “You didn’t have to be from somewhere else to be successful.”
After high school Nelson enrolled at the University of Nebraska, where he earned a B.A. in philosophy in 1963, an M.A. in philosophy in 1965 and a J.D. in 1970. While attending college Nelson dabbled in the ministry, traveling on weekends to five small congregations in southeastern Nebraska as a lay preacher for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Eventually he decided the ministry wasn’t for him. “I’ve been through a phase of saving souls from the pulpit,” Nelson said. “Now I hope I’m a witness. People will follow your example long after they have forgotten your words.”
Nelson met Marcia Lofgren at the University of Nebraska, and the two were married in 1963. They eventually adopted two infant children, a daughter and a son, and Nelson says the adoption experience largely explains his opposition to abortion.
Marcia suffered from a mental illness, according to Nelson, and she committed suicide in 1977.In 1980, Nelson married the former Diane Gleason. The couple has four children in all.
Insurance Career
After law school Nelson embarked on a career in the insurance industry. He worked as an assistant general counsel for Central National Group Insurance from 1972 to 1974; he then stepped away for two years to serve as Nebraska Gov. James Exon’s (D) state insurance director. Nelson returned to Central Insurance in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO of the company.
Nelson also made a quick foray into politics in 1980 as chairman of President Jimmy Carter’s reelection campaign in Nebraska. Nelson left Central National in 1981, taking lucrative consulting jobs and serving as executive vice president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. He continued his insurance work in the late ’80s as an attorney with the Omaha, Neb., law firm Kennedy, Holland, DeLacy and Svoboda.
Nebraska Governor
Nelson had long harbored ambitions to run for governor, and in 1990 he made his move. He declared his candidacy and faced off against Bill Hoppner, an ex-staffer to former Neb. Gov. Bob Kerrey (D), in the Democratic primary. The race was deadlocked to the end, and it took a seven-week recount to determine the winner. When the dust settled, Nelson was certified the winner of the primary by just 42 votes. After the narrow election victory Nelson jokingly began calling himself ‘Landslide Ben.’
Nelson’s opponent in the general election was Kay Orr (R), the incumbent governor who had been weakened politically by tax increases she approved on middle- and upper-class Nebraskans. Nelson managed to pull out another close election win, beating Orr by 4,030 votes.
Upon taking office Nelson was immediately embroiled in delicate negotiations over Nebraska’s personal property taxes on businesses, which state courts had ruled unconstitutional. The issue dominated the early part of Nelson’s term as he sought a legal solution that would keep local governments from losing millions in tax revenue. A negotiated reform plan was ultimately approved by voters as an amendment to the state constitution.
Nelson was re-elected in 1994 in a landslide, taking 73 percent of the vote in the race against Republican Gene Spence.
Nelson presided over prosperous times in Nebraska, and the state enjoyed strong economic growth and relatively low unemployment during his two terms. Some of his achievements as governor include the creation of a state lottery; the merger of the state’s social and public agencies into a unified Health and Human Services System; welfare reform; and a flurry of tax cuts during his second term that were made possible by the state’s overflowing coffers.
Nelson is known for his love of practical jokes. While governor of Nebraska, he appeared on the television show “Candid Camera” talking to visitors in his office about changing the state’s name to “something much more modern … something like Zenmar or Quentron.”
Senate Campaigns
When then-Sen. Jim Exon (D) announced he was retiring from Congress, Nelson faced a dilemma: he would be a shoo-in for his party’s nomination if he ran for the seat, but he would have to break his public pledge to serve out his full term as governor. After months of speculation in the press, Nelson declared his Senate candidacy in 1995, immediately becoming the odds-on favorite among political observers.
Republican Chuck Hagel, a self-made businessman and Vietnam veteran, stepped into the role of political underdog against Nelson, and the race quickly turned acrimonious. Nelson questioned Hagel’s honesty, suggesting his successful start-up, Vanguard Cellular, had cheated the federal lottery system that doled out cellphone franchises. Hagel in turn blasted Nelson for breaking his term pledge, which he said was indicative of his behavior as governor.
As Election Day drew near, the personal vitriol between the two men became public. “[Ben Nelson] is a guy who lies. This is a guy who cheats. This is a guy who will do anything,” Hagel said the week before the election. Hagel trounced Nelson at the ballot box, winning the Senate seat with 56 percent of the vote.
Nelson and Hagel have had an extremely strained relationship since the ’96 campaign. On Capitol Hill, the men were known as fierce antagonists, and the bad blood often spilled over into battles over legislation and political appointments. “It goes back to 1996. I got over losing. He never got over winning,” Nelson said of Hagel.
After finishing his 2nd term as governor in 1998, Nelson quickly shifted back to campaign mode, facing Republican Don Stenberg (R) in a race ffor retiring Sen. Bob Kerrey’s (D) seat. Nelson exceeded Stenberg in fundraising by a two-to-one margin, and on the trail he stressed his independence from the Democratic Party. Stenberg was actively supported by Hagel and President Bush, but this time around Nelson was victorious, winning the seat with 51 percent of the vote.
Roll Call estimated Nelson’s net worth was $7.01 million in 2007, making him the 36th richest member of the 110th Congress.
