Ex-Sen. Ben Nelson starts new lobby firm

Former Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has founded a new lobby firm.

Nelson, along with Tim Becker and Barry Rubin, have formed Heartland Strategy Group, a government and public affairs firm. 

“We are going to build a firm that helps you build a business,” Nelson said in a statement.

Becker was Nelson’s chief of staff in the Senate and also served in that position for Nelson when he was governor of Nebraska. Rubin is an experienced political consultant and a former executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

Heartland plans to have corporations, trade associations and non-profit groups as clients. The firm will help with business development, government relations and strategic communications.

The firm said Nelson will “primarily serve in an advisory role” to Heartland. The two-term senator plans to spend most of his time serving as CEO of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Nelson has kept busy since leaving the confines of the Senate. He has joined the public affairs firm Agenda as a senior adviser, and as chief executive of the insurance commissioners’ group will earn close to $1 million in salary per year.