Where Are They Now?: Ben Nelson

Former Nebraska Governor and Senator Ben Nelson hasn’t stopped working since leaving the Senate in 2013.

Nelson traded one Capitol Hill office for another when he became CEO of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Now, he’s joined his former chief of staff at Heartland Strategy Group – a government relations firm with offices in Omaha, Lincoln, and Washington.

He works with companies to navigate the challenges of dealing with the government.

“They have a right to appeal to their government to listen to them. And that’s what I’m helping them do," said Nelson.

The job takes him back to the halls of Congress. He says, some days, he misses the Senate. "Some days more than others," he said.

Washington correspondent Ted Fioraliso asked the centrist Democrat about his accomplishments in the Senate. He pointed to the “Gang of 14” – the bipartisan group of senators who compromised to give President Bush’s judicial nominees an up-or-down vote.

Nelson is also proud of the new STRATCOM headquarters in Bellevue.

“[We're] building a new, very high-tech and modern facility, which is really a war machine to protect us," said Nelson.

By the end of his second term, Nelson says he grew frustrated with increased gridlock and deadlock.

“The math today is division and subtraction. Dividing the country and seeing how you can win an election. Mine was addition and multiplication," he explained.

Nelson feels Nebraskans are better together. He’s throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton for president.

“There’s a possibility that Hillary could pick up the Second [Congressional] District. It’s certainly not a slam dunk," said Nelson.

But he also understands Donald Trump’s appeal.

“People are looking at the economy and their jobs, but there are a whole lot more folks looking at security. He’s promising security – so is Senator Clinton. The question is, who will win out on that issue?” he said.

We'll find out the answer to that question in a little over a month.