Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid, considered one of the longest-serving Senate majority leaders in the history of the United States, died Tuesday, following a four-year fight with pancreatic cancer. He was 82.
Reid, The Washington Post wrote, was “remembered by Republican opponents and his fellow Democrats as one of the nation’s most consequential lawmakers during two presidencies, for his support for young leaders and for a sometimes-hidden personal warmth.”
Reid, a Democrat, represented his home state of Nevada for 30 years. He served as the Senate’s majority leader during the tenure of then-President George W. Bush, a Republican, and Democrat Barack Obama.
Reid was instrumental in the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the federal government’s attempt at universal health care.
Often referred to as the senate’s curmudgeon, many of Reid’s colleagues said he was “charismatically challenged.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a message on Twitter that called Reid “one of the most amazing individuals I ever met.”
Before being elected to the Senate in 1986, Reid served two terms in the House of Representatives, covering Nevada’s 1st Congressional District. Following an injury in 2015, Reid announced he would not seek a sixth term in the Senate in 2016.