Education
Hassebrook is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate and a native of Platte Center, Nebraska, where his family has been engaged in farming for more than a century. He lives with his wife, Kate, and sons Anton and Peter in Lyons.
Hassebrook is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate and a native of Platte Center, Nebraska, where his family has been engaged in farming for more than a century. He lives with his wife, Kate, and sons Anton and Peter in Lyons.
He was the Executive Director of the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Nebraska and was briefly a candidate for the United States Senate in the 2012 election. Hassebrook has served 36 years with the Center, winning changes in federal tax, farm, conservation and rural development policy. A Democrat, Hassebrook serves on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, including two terms as chair, and is current Chair of the Board of the United States Department of Agriculture North Central Region Rural Development Center.
He previously served on the Nebraska Rural Development Commission, United States Department of Agriculture National Commission on Small Farms, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Science and Technology Review Board and the Board Bread for the World.
In 2012, Hassebrook briefly sought the open United States. Senate seat of retiring Democrat Ben Nelson before withdrawing from the race in favor of former Senator and Governor Bob Kerrey. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2014 Nebraska Governors race.
Hassebrook went on to lose the election to Republican Pete Ricketts on November 4, 2014.
