Former Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Sasse announced on social media on Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. Sasse, 53, revealed that he learned of the disease a week prior to his announcement, stating that he is “now marching to the beat of a faster drummer.”
In his candid message, Sasse described the struggle of writing the note, acknowledging that many had begun to suspect something was amiss. He disclosed that he has been diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and expressed his understanding that his condition is terminal. Sasse, who was elected to the Senate in 2014 and re-elected in 2020, resigned from his position in 2023 to take on the role of president at the University of Florida after facing a contentious approval process.
After assuming his role at the University of Florida, Sasse departed from that post the following year due to his wife’s diagnosis of epilepsy. Throughout his political career, Sasse was recognized as an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump. He was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump for “incitement of insurrection” after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Ben Sasse holds degrees from prestigious institutions, including Harvard, St. John’s College, and Yale. Before entering politics, he served as an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. Following this role, he was the president of Midland University, a small Christian institution located in eastern Nebraska, prior to launching his Senate campaign.
Sasse is a family man, married with three children. In his announcement, he emphasized his intention to combat the illness, expressing a strong will to fight against the cancer. He acknowledged the significant advancements in medical science, particularly in the fields of immunotherapy, which have provided him with hope. Sasse noted that while death is inevitable, the process of dying is an experience that still holds value and should be embraced.
His announcement has elicited a wave of support and concern from many in the political community and beyond, underlining the impact of his diagnosis not only on his family but also on the broader community that has followed his political journey.
