Eric Rasmussen (Nebraska politician)
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Eric Rasmussen | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Nebraska Public Service Commission from the 4th district | |
| In office January 9, 1969 – January 7, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Rod Johnson |
| Member of the Nebraska Legislature | |
| In office January 9, 1963 – December 5, 1968 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Vosoba |
| Succeeded by | Theodore Wenzlaff |
| Constituency | 23rd district (1963–1965) 32nd district (1965–1969) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 9, 1926 |
| Died | November 22, 2006 (aged 80) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Marie Elizabeth Larsen
(m. 1952) |
| Children | 2 (Luann Marie, Eric Clark) |
Eric C. Rasmussen (February 9, 1926 – November 22, 2006) was a Republican politician from Nebraska who served as a member of the Nebraska Public Service Commission from the 4th district from 1969 to 1993 and as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from 1963 to 1968.
Rasmussen was born in York County, Nebraska, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.[1] Upon his return to Nebraska, he took up farming,[1] and became the vice president of the Nebraska Cooperative Council.[2]
Nebraska Legislature
In 1962, Democratic State Senator Joe Vosoba announced that he would not seek re-election to a third term,[3] and Rasmussen ran to succeed him in the 23rd district, which included Fillmore and Saline counties.[2] In the nonpartisan primary, he faced former State Senator Chauncey Lillibridge and farmer Karl Brinkman.[4] Rasmussen narrowly placed second in the primary, winning 36 percent of the vote to Lillibridge's 38 percent,[5] and the two advanced to the general election.[6] Rasmussen defeated Lillibridge to win his first term in the legislature, 54–46 percent.[5]
Rasmussen ran for re-election in 1964, and was challenged by Sherman Ashby, a funeral director and farmer from Geneva.[7] In 1962, Nebraska voters approved a constitutional amendment extending legislative terms to four years and requiring redistricting.[8] As a result of the redistricting, Rasmussen's district was redrawn, and he ran for re-election in the 32nd district, which included Clay, Fillmore, and Thayer counties.[9] In the primary election, Rasmussen placed first, winning 54 percent of the vote to Ashby's 46 percent, and he won re-election in the general election by the same margin.[10]
In 1966, Rasmussen ran for a full four-year term.[11] He was challenged by Max Ball, a University of Nebraska student.[12] In the primary election, Rasmussen placed first by a wide margin, winning 69 percent of the vote.[13] In the general election, Rasmussen defeated Nall in a landslide, winning 72–28 percent.[13]
After being elected to the Public Service Commission in 1968, Rasmussen resigned from the legislature, effective December 5, 1968, so that Governor Norbert Tiemann could appoint a successor prior to the start of a special legislative session that began on December 9.[14][15]