Bob Dole, war hero, longtime US senator, presidential candidate, dies at 98
Dole sought the presidency three times and was the Republican Party's nominee in 1996 but lost to Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton
Bob Dole, who overcame grievous World War Two combat wounds to become a pre-eminent figure in US politics as a longtime Republican senator from Kansas and his party's unsuccessful 1996 presidential nominee, died on Sunday. He was 98.
Dole, known for a wit that ranged from self-deprecating to caustic, died in his sleep, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation said. Dole announced in February that he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and would begin treatment.
"America has lost one of its heroes; our family has lost its rock," Dole's family said in a statement. "He embodied the integrity, humor, compassion and unbounded work ethic of the wide open plains of his youth. He was a powerful voice for pragmatic conservatism."
Dole sought the presidency three times and was the Republican Party's nominee in 1996 but lost to Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton. Dole was his party's vice presidential nominee in 1976 on a ticket headed by incumbent President Gerald Ford but they lost to Democrat Jimmy Carter and his running mate Walter Mondale.