Former West Virginia Senator John D. Rockefeller IV Dies at 89

John D. Rockefeller IV, a former governor and five-term U.S. Senator from West Virginia, died Thursday night at his home in Washington at the age of 89. An heir to the Standard Oil fortune and the only Democrat in his family's political dynasty, Rockefeller spent half a century in public service.

He began his career in 1964 working in an anti-poverty program in Appalachia before serving as governor from 1977 to 1985 and in the Senate from 1984 to 2015. His legislative legacy includes co-authoring the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and championing consumer protections and veterans' rights. He also facilitated the establishment of a Toyota engine parts plant in Buffalo, West Virginia.

Throughout his career, Rockefeller used millions of his own wealth to fund his political campaigns. While he initially supported the 2002 authorization of the Iraq War, he later expressed regret for that vote. Senator Shelley Moore Capito issued a statement noting that Rockefeller dedicated his life to serving West Virginia and the nation.