The lawmaker said he wants to return to academia as the country re-evaluates “the radical work stoppage” following the pandemic. “UF is the most important institution in the nation’s most economically dynamic state,” he said in a statement. “Washington’s cooperation is not going to solve these workforce challenges – new institutions and business communities will have to lead this work.” “If UF wants to go big, I’m excited about the wide range of opportunities,” Sasse added. Herschel Walker says abortion ‘shouldn’t be ashamed’ but backs ban If Sasse ultimately accepts the position, Nebraska’s Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, will appoint a successor under state law. Sasse is expected to step down later this year once the review process is complete and pending final board approval, according to a person close to him who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Since he is the only finalist, he is expected to be approved. The university’s president, W. Kent Fuchs — who announced in January that he would “transition from president to professor” when his successor is named — has led the university since 2015. Fuchs touted his success in raising the university’s public stature, leading a $3 billion fundraising campaign and keeping tuition stable. But he was criticized by some faculty members who said he too often allowed political pressure from state leaders to affect areas such as pandemic response, research and academic freedom on campus. The school’s nominees for a new president have been kept secret in compliance with a law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in March. That search included “hundreds of candidates,” according to a letter sent to University of Florida alumni by Mori Hosseini, chairman of the school’s board of trustees. How the Supreme Court could give Republicans more power with elections Sasse was elected to the Senate in 2014 while serving as president of Lutheran-affiliated Midland University, which he had led since 2010. He ran as a staunch critic of the Obama administration, specifically the Affordable Care Act. Once seen as a strong voice of dissent within the GOP during the early years of Trump’s presidency, Sasse, 50, eventually became less vocal as it became clear that his constituents and his party’s politics aligned more closely with those of the former president. Sasse was easily re-elected in 2020, but much less vocal after years at odds with Trump and other party leaders. Before becoming a legislator, Sasse worked with several Christian organizations, including the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals (ACE), where he was executive director, and several federal government agencies, including the US Department of Health and Human Services, where George W. Bush appointed Sasse to be assistant secretary for planning and evaluation. Sasse was born and raised in Nebraska before attending Harvard University for his undergraduate studies. He went on to earn his doctorate from Yale University, where he studied the intersection of faith and politics in the two major political parties. Jacqueline Dupree and Susan Svrluga contributed to this report.
