Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, a longtime Republican lawmaker who spent nearly three decades in Congress, has died at the age of 84.
Kyl’s family announced his death on September 17, saying he died from complications related to a neurological disease. The announcement came less than a year after Kyl revealed that he had been diagnosed with dementia and would be stepping away from public life.
Kyl leaves behind a lengthy record of public service that included eight years in the U.S. House, nearly two decades in the Senate, and a brief return to Capitol Hill after the death of Sen. John McCain.
During his career, Kyl became one of Arizona’s most prominent Republican lawmakers. He was particularly influential on national security, judicial matters and the complicated water issues that have long affected the American Southwest.
