Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is the Senior U.S. Senator (United States Senate) from Nebraska, where he was born and has lived for most of his life. A Democrat (Democratic Party (United States)), he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.

A native of McCook (McCook, Nebraska), in southwestern Nebraska, Nelson earned a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in 1963 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, followed by a M.A. (Masters degree) in 1965, and a J.D. (Juris Doctor) in 1970. Nelsons early career as assistant general counsel for Central National Insurance Group of Omaha was followed by service as Nebraskas State Insurance Director before he returned to Central National Insurance as an executive vice president; he eventually became the companys President.

Nelson re-entered politics in 1990, when he was elected the 37th (List of Governors of Nebraska) Governor of Nebraska. He was easily re-elected in 1994 with 74% of the vote. Nelson ran for an open seat in the U.S. Senate (United States Senate) in 1996, losing to Republican Chuck Hagel, and left the Governors office in January 1999 due to term limits, after serving two full terms. Nelson was elected to the U.S. Senate in the 2000 election (U.S. Senate election, 2000) after incumbent Bob Kerrey retired.