(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse revealed Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, sharing the news in a candid and deeply personal social media post. The 53-year-old Nebraska Republican said he received the diagnosis last week and chose to speak publicly after friends and supporters began to sense something was wrong.
“This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die,” Sasse wrote. “Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week, too we all do.”
Sasse reflected on mortality with his trademark bluntness and humor, emphasizing the support system around him. “I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half a dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers,” he wrote. Quoting one close friend, Sasse added, “‘Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.’ Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all.”
Despite the grim prognosis, Sasse made clear that he intends to keep fighting. “I’ll have more to say,” he wrote. “I’m not going down without a fight.”
Near the end of his message, Sasse pointed to advances in medical science that offer at least some hope, even in dire circumstances. “One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jaw-dropping advances science has made in the past few years in immunotherapy and more,” he said. “Death and dying aren’t the same; the process of dying is still something to be lived.”
He added that his household has leaned into dark humor, writing, “We’re zealously embracing a lot of gallows humor in our house, and I’ve pledged to do my part to run through the irreverent tape.” Sasse retired from the Senate in 2023 after two terms, citing frustration with the institution and a desire to pursue other work. He went on to become president of the University of Florida, a role he left after just over a year.
At the time, Sasse said he was stepping aside to focus on his family following his wife Melissa’s “recent epilepsy diagnosis and a new batch of memory issues.” In his post, Sasse noted that the past several months have been marked by deepened family connections. He wrote about growing closer to his wife and proudly detailed what his children have been accomplishing, suggesting that the diagnosis has sharpened his sense of perspective.
“There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer, but the season of Advent isn’t the worst,” Sasse wrote. “As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come.” After stepping down as university president, Sasse remained on campus teaching courses at the Hamilton Center.
His career before politics included stints as a professor at the University of Texas, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, and president of Midland University in Nebraska. Sasse is not the only prominent Senate figure to confront pancreatic cancer. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid died from the disease in 2021 after a four-year battle.
While pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal forms of the disease, Sasse’s message struck a balance between realism and resolve. His words framed the diagnosis not just as a medical turning point, but as a moment to reflect on faith, family, and how to live meaningfully in the time that remains.
