Gov. picks Plattsmouth mayor as new state senator

October 7, 2011 10:55 am

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has selected the mayor of Plattsmouth to replace Louisville Sen. Dave Pankonin in the Legislature. Heineman announced his appointment of 61-year-old R. Paul Lambert during a Friday news conference.

Lambert was to be sworn in later in the day at the Capitol. Lambert was among 12 applicants for the District 2 seat, which covers Cass, Otoe and Sarpy counties in southeast Nebraska. Lambert was appointed to the Plattsmouth City Council in 1999 and became mayor in 2003.

He also works in automotive sales and is a licensed real estate agent. Heineman says he picked Lambert because of his experience in local government. Pankonin resigned to focus more on his job as president of the family-owned Home State Bank of Louisville.