Alan Nunnelee Dies: Mississippi Congressman Loses Battle With Brain Cancer

— -- Rep. Alan Nunnelee, who fought brain cancer for the past eight months, has died, his family announced in a statement today.

“Congressman Alan Nunnelee has gone home to be with Jesus,” the statement read. “He was well loved and will be greatly missed.”

Nunnelee, R-Mississippi, entered hospice care at his home in Tupelo after receiving the grim prognosis that he had developed a new tumor in his brain with no medical treatment possible.

“After 7 months of bravely fighting brain cancer and a stroke, Congressman Alan Nunnelee was informed last Friday that a new tumor has developed and no further medical treatment is possible,” Morgan Baldwin, a consultant to Nunnelee, wrote in a statement provided to ABC News last week.

An aide close to Nunnelee confirmed that the new tumor was located in the congressman’s brain.

As news of his death spread, President Obama wrote that he and the First Lady "were saddened" to learn of Nunnelee's death.

"A proud son of Tupelo, Alan never wavered in his determination to serve the men and women who placed their trust in him, even as he bravely battled the illness that ultimately took his life," the president wrote. "As a Sunday School teacher and a deacon at his church, Alan believed deeply in the power of faith and the strength of American families."

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also paid tribute to Nunnelee.

“Alan Nunnelee served this House with grace and distinction," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote in a statement. "He was the rare calming presence in the cauldron of politics. He never let cancer get the best of him. We know this because, at the end of his life, all Alan asked of us was whether he made a difference. Indeed he did, very much so."

"But there is more to it than that," Boehner continued. "Because when you think about all the good Alan did and all the lives he touched, it is plain that he will continue to make a difference. So we mourn now, for we will miss Alan, but we also celebrate the gift of his life and service, and all he meant to us as a friend and colleague."

“We are all saddened by the passing of Congressman Alan Nunnelee – who, throughout his time as a public servant, strived to represent his constituents with integrity and energy," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, noted.

“Alan was not only a fantastic legislator, but a trusted colleague, friend, and shining example of the Mississippi values that we all hold near and dear to our hearts," Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Mississippi, wrote. "He will be missed greatly.”

For the past several weeks, Nunnelee, 56, had struggled to recover from a hematoma in his leg, which stemmed from brain surgery last summer that then led to a massive stroke.

Now that Nunnelee has died, the governor of Mississippi must order a special election within 60 days to fill the vacancy in the congressional district.

After his surgery June 9, Nunnelee was absent from Washington for months, though he returned to the Capitol during the lame duck session of Congress after the election. He used a wheelchair to get around, although he would stand with the help of a cane to make his way into the House chamber to vote.

Over the holidays, Nunnelee experienced a hematoma in his left leg and was admitted to the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo Dec. 28.

Despite his illness, Nunnelee was sworn into a third term in the 114th Congress Jan. 12 by the Honorable Judge Michael P. Mills of the Northern District of Mississippi. He did not cast a vote in the 114th session of Congress.

Nunnelee is survived by his wife, Tori, and three children, Reed, Emily, and Nathan.