CNN
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Bob Graham, a former senator, two-term Democratic governor, and one of Florida’s most popular politicians, has died. He was 87 years old.
“We are deeply saddened to report the passing of a visionary leader, dedicated public servant, and more importantly, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.” His family said in a statement: Posted by his daughter on Tuesday.
“Bob Graham dedicated his life to making the world around him better,” the statement continued.
Graham spent nearly 40 years in public service representing the state of Florida, first in the state legislature, then in the governor’s mansion, and then in Washington as a U.S. senator.
During his three terms as a senator, he served as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and co-led the Congressional investigation into the September 11 terrorist attacks. He was the lead author of a portion of the Patriot Act of 2001 that dealt with improving information sharing between U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies.
He has emerged as a harsh critic of George W. Bush on Iraq, saying the Republican president is not doing enough on homeland security and mistakenly focusing on the war he incited rather than Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. He claimed to be focusing on In 2002, he voted against authorizing military force against Iraq.
During his time in Congress, he was associated with Florida’s image and kept a detailed diary of his daily activities.
Graham, a Democrat who has never lost an election in the swing state of Florida, was considered several times as a running mate to Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore. And she could have lost her chance to be the 1998 Democratic nominee alongside Michael Dukakis by appearing as her unfaithful husband in Jimmy Buffett’s “Who’s the Blonde Stranger” music video. Time magazine reports that there is a sex.
The content of the video was not the issue, Graham explained to the magazine.
“They were concerned that I had not listed the payments on my financial disclosure form,” Graham said. “But Jimmy didn’t pay me a dime.”
Graham sought the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination to face Bush, but felt he did not have enough money and organization in that year’s campaign to catch up to the nine other Democratic candidates. Withdrew from the election campaign.
Graham also blamed his late participation in the race in part on having to undergo heart surgery to replace a deteriorated valve.
“He was a rare combination of public accomplishments and personal characteristics that combined to make him an unforgettable person. As his family, we honor his love for us, Florida, We will never forget his love for America and the world, and the love that so many people showed him. We thank God for the gift of his life,” the family said in a statement. mentioned in.
On Tuesday night, public figures and officials on both sides of the aisle remembered the former senator.
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott said Mr. Graham dedicated his life to Florida. “His legacy will live on forever, not because of any title he held, but because of what he did with those opportunities to improve the lives of families in Florida and the Sunshine State. ” Scott said in the paper. Post to X.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Graham a “patriotic American” and a great senator.
“He sponsored and led the joint Congressional investigation into 9/11 and bravely opposed entry into the Iraq War,” the California Democratic Party said in a statement. “He brought his love for his family and the state of Florida to the Senate and served with immeasurable dignity and courage.”
Graham was born in Coral Gables, Florida to a family that owned a dairy and cattle farm. His half-brother Philip Graham, who became the publisher of the Washington Post through his marriage to Katharine Graham (née Meyer), died by suicide in 1963.
He was 30 years old when he was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1966. He will serve in the Florida Legislature for a total of 12 years, first in the state House of Representatives and then in the state Senate.
In 1978, he began a strong bid to become the next governor of Florida, gaining attention for his “work day” in which he took on different tasks for an entire day with voters.
That same year, he was elected governor of the Sunshine State, becoming the first South Florida politician to hold the governor’s mansion, and was reelected in 1982. As governor, he prioritized education and the environment, including launching the “Save the Everglades” program. In his first term, he mobilized the National Guard in response to the 1980 Miami riots in which four white police officers were acquitted of beating black man Arthur McDuffie to death.
Graham continued to “serve” as governor, and by the time he retired from Congress, he had worked hundreds of different jobs, from construction worker to bellboy, barber to lobsterman, to poop scooper, and even played Santa Claus on a radio talk show. acted. -Show host and ring announcer.
He told The Associated Press in 2004 that the workday was “an important part of my development as a public servant, learning what the people of Florida expect, what they want, what their aspirations are.” “It was an important part of learning and trying to interpret it on a very human level.” Turn it into a policy that improves their lives. ”
Graham remained involved even after retiring from political office in 2004 after an unsuccessful run for president.
He was asked by Congressional leaders to chair the bipartisan Committee on Preventing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism. The commission released a report in 2008 stating that a weapons of mass destruction attack somewhere in the world is likely to occur by 2013 if: Nothing was being done to increase security.
In 2010, then-President Barack Obama appointed Graham to co-chair a national commission investigating how that year’s BP oil spill occurred and how to prevent future oil spills. Nominated.
In 2006, Graham founded the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, a nonpartisan civic engagement center at the University of Florida.
He is survived by his wife, Adele, four daughters, including former U.S. Congresswoman Gwendolyn Graham, and 10 grandchildren.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Amanda Jackson and Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.
