Former senator Jesse Helms, 86, passed away at 1:15 a.m. July 4 at Wingate University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Former chief of staff Jimmy Broughton said he died of natural causes."Today we lost a Senator whose stature in Congress had few equals," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a statement. "Senator Jesse Helms was a leading voice and courageous champion for the many causes he believed in."
The Republican first won a seat in the Senate in 1972, and he continued to serve until 2002, when he decided not to run for a sixth term.
His tendency to block nominations and legislation earned him the nickname "Senator No."
When the GOP had Senate majority, Helms often served as chairman of the Agriculture Committee, using his position to protect North Carolina tobacco growers and other farmers. He also chaired Foreign Relations Committees at times, and became known for his strong opposition to communism.
He is also remembered for his divisive views, particularly regarding racial politics and homosexuality.
Helms' health had been declining for several years, as he suffered from prostate cancer, heart problems and a bone disorder. Near the end of his Senate tenure, he relied on a motorized scooter to traverse the Capitol.
In April 2006, he entered a convalescent home due to vascular dementia, which led to repeated minor strokes that damaged his brain.
In an August 2005 e-mail interview with The Associated Press, coinciding with the publication of his memoir, he said he hoped future generations' understanding and opinion of him "will be based on the truth and not the deliberate inaccuracies those who disagreed with me took such delight in repeating."
According to the website of The Jesse Helms Center, details on funeral arrangements are still pending. He is survived by his wife, Dot, and their three children and seven grandchildren.
