Former United States senator and West Virginia governor, John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV, who abandoned the privileges of his wealthy family background to serve disadvantaged communities, has died aged 89.
Rockefeller died on Thursday night at his home in Washington, according to Mary Stewart, vice president for external affairs at WETA, the public broadcasting station headed by his wife, Sharon Rockefeller.
The Associated Press reported his death on Friday.
A great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil Company, he was born into one of America’s wealthiest families but built his political career in West Virginia, one of the country’s poorest states.
According to the Associated Press, Rockefeller moved to Emmons, a mining community in West Virginia, in 1964 at the age of 27 to participate in the Volunteers in Service to America programme, an anti-poverty initiative.
His experience working among poor communities significantly influenced his political convictions and commitment to public service. Recalling his time in the state during his farewell address on the Senate floor on December 4, 2014, he said, “It explains every policy I pursued and every vote I have cast. It was where my beliefs were bolted down, and where my passions met my principles.”
Although he initially planned to spend only a short period in West Virginia, Rockefeller eventually settled there and ventured into politics in 1966 as a Democrat, departing from his family’s Republican political tradition.
He was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1966 and later served as the state’s secretary of state before becoming governor.
Rockefeller won the governorship in 1976 and secured re-election in 1980, completing two terms before being elected to the United States Senate in 1984.
He represented West Virginia in the upper chamber of Congress for 30 years, serving five terms between 1985 and 2015.
During his three decades in the Senate, he advocated improved healthcare access for low-income families, consumer protection, broadband expansion, veterans’ welfare and stronger oversight of American intelligence activities.
One of his major legislative contributions was the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which he authored in 1997.
The initiative provided health coverage for children from families earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but unable to afford private health insurance.
The programme has since benefited millions of American children.
Reuters reported on Friday that “Rockefeller also supported President Barack Obama’s 2010 healthcare overhaul and advocated a public health insurance option, although the proposal was not adopted.”
He also chaired the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, as well as the committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Intelligence.
As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Rockefeller participated in investigations into the administration of former President George W. Bush and its handling of intelligence concerning Iraq ahead of the 2003 invasion.
He subsequently expressed regret over his 2002 vote authorising the Iraq War.
Despite his advocacy for workers and economically disadvantaged communities, Rockefeller’s political career was not without controversy.
His position on coal mining, a major industry in West Virginia, attracted criticism, particularly his opposition to some environmental regulations introduced under Obama’s administration targeting mountaintop removal mining.
He also helped attract Japanese investment to West Virginia, playing a role in Toyota’s establishment of an engine-parts manufacturing facility in Buffalo in 1996.
The Associated Press reported that the plant, valued at $2bn, employs approximately 2,200 workers.
Rockefeller’s political campaigns also benefited from his personal wealth.
According to the Associated Press, he spent at least $21m of his own money on political campaigns, including $9m during his 1984 Senate election.
He left the Senate in January 2015 after three decades in office.
Reflecting on his years in public service, Rockefeller said in 2015, “I could not imagine a more rewarding career.”
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, their four children and nine grandchildren.
