ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- Former U.S. Senator David Durenberger has died.

The Republican won a U.S. Senate seat in 1978 and served three terms in office.  He decided not to run for re-election in 1994.  He was a champion of healthcare reform.

He left the Republican party in 2005 and later supported Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden in the presidential elections.

He died Tuesday at the age of 88 at his St. Paul home.

Durenberger was born in St. Cloud in 1934. He graduated from St. John's Prep in 1951 and St. John's University in 1955.

Durenberger served on the Saint John’s University Board of Regents from 1987 to 1996. In 1985, Durenberger received an Alumni Achievement Award from Saint John’s, and in 2018 the Senator David Durenberger Atrium was named in his honor.

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U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below on the passing of former Minnesota Senator David Durenberger.

 “Senator Dave Durenberger was a true public servant. He was a dedicated legislator who was always guided by his devotion to bipartisanship and improving people’s lives. His work to advance the Americans with Disabilities Act and prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities changed millions of lives for the better and made our nation stronger.


 

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