(KLZA)-- In one of his first acts as Nebraska's new governor, Jim Pillen has named Pete Ricketts to fill the state's vacant U.S. Senate seat. Pillen surprised no one Thursday in naming the former governor to the seat vacated Sunday by Ben Sasse, even as some Republicans expressed reservations about Pillen selecting his benefactor.

Pillen was elected in November in large part because of Ricketts’ backing, which included more than $100,000 of his own money contributed directly to Pillen- campaign.

Pillen said he didn’t want to put in a placeholder, and wanted to choose someone who could win election in 2024. Pillen said Thursday that he interviewed nine candidates out of 111 applicants, none of the interviews were with Democratic applicants.

Sasse announced last fall that he would be leaving the Senate to take a job as president of the University of Florida.