Who is Ben Sasse married to? All about family as former US senator reveals pancreatic cancer diagnosis

Former senator Ben Sasse recently announced that he has been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. According to New York Post, Sasse, who is married to Melissa McLeod Sasse, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, December 23, to share the news of his metastasized cancer diagnosis. The announcement comes a year after his wife, Melissa McLeod Sasse, a former guidance counselor and high school teacher, was diagnosed with epilepsy, a development that led Sasse to step down from his post as president of the University of Florida.

In his long post, Ben Sasse explained that while he does not have long to live, he is determined to fight until the very end. In his post, Sasse wrote:

"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. Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do."

He further added:

"I’ll have more to say. I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more. Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived. 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."

More about Ben Sasse and his family, as he reveals his stage four cancer diagnosis

Ben Sasse was elected as a senator for Nebraska after defeating Democratic lawyer David Domina in 2014. According to The New York Post, Sasse was re-elected in 2020 after which he became a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. He later assumed the role of president of the University of Florida in 2022, a move that was criticized by many due to his conservative stances.

Ben Sasse met his wife, Melissa McLeod, while in college. After dating for some time, the couple tied the knot in 1995. The couple have welcomed three children, Corrie, Alex and Breck over the course of their 30 years of marriage. Corrie was recently commissioned into the Air Force, while Alex recently graduated from college a semester early. His youngest child, a son, Breck is still in school.

His wife, Melissa McLeod Sasse, who is from Birmingham, has suffered her own share of health challenges. In 2007, she suffered multiple strokes and a brain aneurysm. Although she recovered from these conditions, Melissa was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2024, prompting Ben Sasse to resign from his position. In his statement, Sasse explained that he needed to prioritize caring for his wife in light of her diagnosis. He wrote:

"My wife Melissa’s recent epilepsy diagnosis and a new batch of memory issues have been hard, but we’re facing it together. Our two wonderful daughters are in college, but our youngest is just turning 13. Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard, Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights."

He further added:

"I need to step back and rebuild more stable household systems for a time. I’m going to remain involved in serving our UF students — past, present, and future — but I need to walk arm-in-arm with my dearest friend more hours of every week.”

The news of Ben Sasse's cancer diagnosis has prompted a wave of reactions from several high-ranking politicians, including Vice President JD Vance, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his sympathies.