Former U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, an heir to one of America’s most famous family fortunes who built a decades-long political career in West Virginia, has died at 89.
Rockefeller’s family announced his death Thursday, saying the former Democratic senator died peacefully at his home in Charleston, West Virginia.
“Jay Rockefeller, our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died peacefully this morning at his home in Charleston, West Virginia,” the family said in a statement. “He was 89 years old.”
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, four children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Rockefeller represented West Virginia in the U.S. Senate for 30 years, serving from 1985 until his retirement in January 2015.
His political career was notable partly because Rockefeller abandoned his family’s longstanding Republican tradition and became a Democrat while establishing deep political roots in heavily working-class West Virginia.
Born John Davison Rockefeller IV in New York City in 1937, he was the great-grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller.
His uncle, Nelson Rockefeller, served as Republican governor of New York and later became vice president under President Gerald Ford.
Jay Rockefeller followed a dramatically different political path.
He first arrived in West Virginia in 1964 as a participant in the Volunteers in Service to America program, commonly known as VISTA.
Rockefeller worked in the coal community of Emmons and later said his experiences in impoverished areas of the state profoundly influenced his political outlook.
He became West Virginia secretary of state in 1969 and served until 1973.
Rockefeller unsuccessfully sought the governorship in 1972 before winning the office four years later.
He served as governor from 1977 to 1985 before winning election to the U.S. Senate in 1984.
Rockefeller went on to win reelection four times, becoming one of the longest-serving senators in West Virginia history.
During his Senate career, Rockefeller focused heavily on healthcare, coal miners, children’s programs, veterans and economic issues affecting West Virginia.
He played an important role in creating the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, now commonly known as CHIP, alongside Republican Sen. John Chafee of Rhode Island.
The program was enacted in 1997 and expanded government-supported health coverage for children in families earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but unable to afford private insurance.
Rockefeller also chaired the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and previously led the Senate Intelligence Committee.
His tenure on the Intelligence Committee placed him at the center of major national-security debates following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Rockefeller initially voted in 2002 to authorize military force against Iraq but later became a prominent critic of the war and the intelligence used to justify it.
He also advocated for healthcare protections for coal miners suffering from black lung disease and repeatedly pushed federal programs addressing economic challenges in Appalachia.
West Virginia officials from both parties offered tributes following news of his death.
Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who succeeded Rockefeller in the Senate, described him as a dedicated public servant whose influence extended throughout West Virginia.
“Senator Rockefeller was a true public servant who dedicated decades of his life to the people of West Virginia,” Capito said.
Former Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin also praised Rockefeller’s commitment to the state and its residents.
Rockefeller’s death comes more than a decade after he left elected office.
He announced in 2013 that he would not seek a sixth Senate term, ending a political career that had stretched across nearly half a century.
His retirement also coincided with West Virginia’s dramatic political transformation.
The state that repeatedly elected Rockefeller and other Democrats became one of the nation’s most reliably Republican states during the following decade.
Capito captured Rockefeller’s open Senate seat in 2014, becoming West Virginia’s first Republican senator in more than half a century.
Republicans eventually captured virtually every major statewide office and congressional seat in West Virginia.
Rockefeller remained associated with the state after leaving Washington and maintained a residence in Charleston.
