Former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona dies at 84

September 17, 2026 / 12:57 PM EDT / AP

Former GOP Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, a longtime lawmaker who guided the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and shaped landmark water policies in the western part of the country, has died at the age of 84.

According to a statement released by his family, Kyl died due to complications stemming from a neurological disease. He had withdrawn from public life in December 2025, after announcing he had been diagnosed with dementia.

He spent nearly three decades in Congress, serving eight years in the House and 18 in the Senate, plus a four-month partial term to fill the vacancy left by the death of Sen. John McCain. He watched his party undergo a drastic transformation over the course of his career, which began during Ronald Reagan's presidency and concluded during President Trump's first term.

Former Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who considered Kyl a mentor, described the former senator in a February 2025 interview with The Associated Press as a true statesman and a "workhorse" among Washington, D.C.'s show horses.

"If you saw him on the plane, he was sitting in the aisle, in coach, and he was reading,"…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/