Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse annlunces he has terminal cancer

— Aaron Sanderford Nebraska Examiner

OMAHA — Former Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse announced Tuesday he is dying of stage-four pancreatic cancer that has metastasized.

In a social media post, Sasse called advanced pancreatic cancer “a death sentence,” adding that he is focused on his family in the time he has left.

Sasse, who represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate from 2015 to 2023, was known nationally for his criticism of former President Donald Trump and for being one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump following his second impeachment in 2021.

A former president of Midland University in Fremont, Sasse entered politics from academia and often described himself as a smallgovernment conservative with an intellectual approach to policy. His Senate work included national security issues, China, Russia and the future of work, including the impact of artificial intelligence.

Sasse left the Senate in early 2023 to become president of the University of Florida but resigned after 17 months.