Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl Dies at 84

Former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona, died Thursday, September 17, 2026, at his home in Phoenix at the age of 84. His family attributed his death to complications from a neurological disease, following a dementia diagnosis he announced in December 2025.

Kyl spent over 25 years in Congress, serving four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1995 and three terms in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2013. He rose to become the Republican party whip and was recognized as a pragmatic policy expert. After retiring in 2011, he worked as a lobbyist before returning briefly to the Senate in 2018 to fill the seat vacated by the death of John McCain.

His legislative legacy includes significant work on arms control, immigration, and the 2013 extension of Bush-era tax cuts. A former water-law attorney, he shaped landmark Western water policies, including Arizona's 1980 groundwater code and the Arizona Water Settlement Act of 2004, which provided water allocations to tribal communities. He also served as the primary political guide for the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and former Governor Doug Ducey issued statements of condolence. Ducey praised Kyl as a principled statesman and mentor, while other officials noted his effectiveness as a legislator and his strong connections to rural Arizona.