May 30, 2019

Former Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran dies at age 81

Sen. Thad Cochran leaves the U.S. Capitol following early morning votes in February 2018. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Former Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) died on Thursday morning at age 81, following health concerns that led him to resign from the Senate in 2018, the office of his successor Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith has announced.

Context: Cochran represented Mississippi in Congress for more than 45 years, serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee during his run.

Cochran was a U.S. Navy veteran and the 10th longest-serving senator in the U.S.
His election to the Senate in 1978 marked the first time in more than a century that a Republican won a statewide election in Mississippi.
Cochran primarily sponsored bills on issues related to health, economics and public finance, and public lands and natural resources, and helped steer billions of dollars to Mississippi, according to AP.
Cochran's successor, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), is the first female Senator elected in Mississippi.

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