A former lawmaker, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska — once considered a rising star within the GOP — says he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of just 53. Within minutes of the announcement, condolences poured in as Mr. Sasse assured friends that he was grateful for the time he has left. 

Mr. Sasse was elected to represent Nebraska in the Senate in the midterm wave election of 2014. At that point, he had served as president of Midland University after receiving his doctorate in history at Yale University. 

In a post on X on Tuesday morning, he announced his terminal metastatic pancreatic cancer diagnosis, which is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. 

“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,” Mr. 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.”

“Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all,” he added. 

Mr. Sasse wrote of his family members, including details about their lives and his three-decade partnership with his wife, with whom he has three children. “I couldn’t be more grateful to constantly get to bear-hug this motley crew of sinners and saints,” the former senator wrote. 

With Christmas approaching, Mr. Sasse says that while it may not be an ideal time to share the news of his illness, he says it is also not the “worst” opportunity to do so. “A well-lived life demands more reality — stiffer stuff. That’s why, during advent, even while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope — often properly with a gravelly voice soldiering through tears,” he wrote. 

Elected to the Senate at just 42 years old, Mr. Sasse — a tall, Harvard and Yale-educated former football player — was considered by many to be a future leader of the Republican Party. 

In the Senate, he made a point of critiquing President Trump from time to time. He said the president’s attacks on the press seemed to be the stuff of dictators, that America is a “nation of immigrants” despite Mr. Trump’s attacks, and that Mr. Trump looked like a “little boy” when he declined to denounce President Putin for interfering in the 2016 presidential election. 

Following the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol and the subsequent impeachment of Mr. Trump, Mr. Sasse voted with a small band of Republican senators to convict the then-former president in the Senate, which could have barred Mr. Trump from ever seeking office in the United States again. 

After resigning his Senate seat in 2023, Mr. Sasse took a position as the president of the University of Florida — a tenure which was relatively short-lived and marred by ethical concerns. His office staff tripled in size, and new hires included former political staffers and Republican Party operatives, some of whom received hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary despite living outside of Florida. 

Florida’s auditor general later conducted an investigation, finding that Mr. Sasse had inappropriately spent university funds. He stepped down from the position less than 18 months after taking over as president. 

Following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis on Tuesday, condolences flooded in from across the political spectrum. 

“I’m heartbroken to read this. Many prayers and blessings. You’re such a good husband, father, and person, and this world is a better place because you’re in it,” Senator Mike Lee wrote in response to Mr. Sasse’s statement. 

“So, so sorry to hear this, Ben. You and your family are in our prayers,” another former colleague, Senator Jeff Flake, wrote. 

A former speechwriter for President Obama, Tommy Vietor, also offered his condolences. “Horrible news from Ben Sasse wrapped in a beautiful and inspiring message that is worth your time,” he said.