Bob Dole, a former Republican U.S. Senator from Kansas and the 1996 Republican presidential candidate, has died at age 98, his family confirmed on Dec. 5.
“Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years,” his family said in a statement through the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years. More information coming soon. #RememberingBobDole pic.twitter.com/57NtGfqtmL
— Elizabeth Dole Foundation (@DoleFoundation) December 5, 2021
Earlier in 2021, it was announced that Dole was being treated for advanced lung cancer. President Joe Biden visited Dole shortly before his diagnosis in February.
“While I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own,” Dole said in a statement in February.
For 30 years, Dole was a senator for Kansas. In 1976, he was President Gerald Ford’s vice presidential nominee. The pair were defeated by then-Democratic Party presidential candidate Jimmy Carter and his running mate, Walter Mondale.
Dole, who was injured while fighting in World War II, was the Senate majority leader from 1985 to 1987 and again from 1995 to 1996. In 1996, Dole clinched the Republican nomination for the presidency, but he was ultimately defeated by incumbent President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.
Writing in his memoir, “One Soldier’s Story,” Dole said that his experiences in World War II defined his life.
“Adversity can be a harsh teacher,” he wrote in the book. “But its lessons often define our lives. As much as we may wish that we could go back and relive them, do things differently, make better, wiser decisions, we can’t change history. War is like that. You can rewrite it, attempt to infuse it with your own personal opinions, twist or spin it to make it more palatable, but eventually the truth will come out.”
