Former Florida Governor Bob Graham Dies Aged 87

Former U.S. Senator and two-term Florida Gov. Bob Graham (D) has died. He was 87.

Graham’s family announced the death Tuesday in a statement posted on X by his daughter, Gwendolyn Graham.

“We are deeply saddened to report the passing of a visionary leader, dedicated public servant, and even more importantly, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather,” the family said. “As a legislator, Florida’s 38th Governor, and a United States Senator, Bob Graham devoted his life to the betterment of the world around him.”

Graham is remembered as a visionary leader and dedicated public servant who served three terms in the Senate. He unsuccessfully bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasizing his opposition to the Iraq invasion.

BREAKING: Bob Graham, ex-US senator and Florida governor, dies at 87 https://t.co/5Vof6DUtFn

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— The Associated Press (@AP) April 17, 2024

Unfortunately, his bid was delayed by heart surgery in January 2003. He didn’t seek re-election in 2004 and was replaced by Republican Mel Martinez.

Graham’s political career spanned five decades, beginning with his election to the Florida House of Representatives in 1966.

He won a state Senate seat in 1970 and was elected governor in 1978. He was re-elected in 1982.

Four years later, he won the first of three terms in the U.S. Senate when he succeeded Sen. Paula Hawkins (R-FL).

Bob was born Nov. 9, 1936, in Coral Gables, where his father, Ernest ‘Cap’ Graham, had moved from South Dakota and established a large dairy operation.

One of Graham’s half-brothers, Phillip Graham, was publisher of The Washington Post and Newsweek until he committed suicide in 1963. This happened a year after Graham graduated from Harvard Law.

In 1966, Graham was elected to the Florida legislature, where he focused mainly on education and healthcare Issues.

Public figures and officials sent condolences to the former Governor on Tuesday night.

“His legacy will live forever, not because of any title he held, but for what he did with those opportunities to improve Florida and the lives of families in the Sunshine State,” Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott said in a post on X.

Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (R-CA) called Graham a “patriotic American” and a great senator.

“He sponsored and led the Congressional Joint Inquiry into 9/11, and he bravely opposed entry into the war in Iraq,” Pelosi said in a statement. “He brought his love for his family and his state of Florida to the Senate, where he served with immense dignity and courage.”

He is survived by his wife, Adele, their four daughters and their ten grandchildren.