Former U.S. senator and two-term Florida governor Bob Graham dies at 87

Former U.S. senator and two-term Florida governor Bob Graham died Tuesday at age 87, according to a family statement released by his daughter Gwen Graham.

“We are deeply saddened to report the passing of a visionary leader, a dedicated public servant, and most importantly, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather,” reads the statement shared on X, formerly Twitter.

— Gwen Graham (@GwenGraham) April 17, 2024

The politician held elected office for almost four decades, from when he was a representative of Florida in 1966 until 2005, when he retired from the Senate after his third term.

Graham “dedicated his life to improving the world around him,” his family said in the statement.

The Democrat was governor of Florida between 1979 and 1987, a period in which that state experienced a large wave of Cuban and Haitian immigration.

As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he led a joint congressional investigation into the failures of the US government that led to those events.

Graham ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasizing his opposition to the invasion of Iraq, arguing that it would divert resources from the fight against terrorism.

The former U.S. senator also criticized former Republican President George W. Bush for not having an occupation plan in Iraq after the U.S. military overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003.