Bob Dole

Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician, attorney, and Army officer who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate during the final 11 years of his tenure, including three non-consecutive years as Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. Prior to his 27 years in the Senate, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969. Dole was also the Republican presidential nominee in the 1996 presidential election and the vice presidential nominee in the 1976 presidential election.

Dole was born and raised in Russell, Kansas, where he established a legal career after serving with distinction in the United States Army during World War II. Following a period as county attorney for Russell County, he won election to the House of Representatives in 1960, initially from Kansas's 6th congressional district and then from the 1st congressional district. He served this seat until 1968, when he was elected to the Senate, and was re-elected four more times there. In the Senate, Dole served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1971 to 1973 and chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Finance from 1981 to 1985. He led the U.S. Senate Republican members from 1985 to his resignation in 1996, and served as Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and from 1995 to 1996. In his role as Republican leader, he helped defeat the Clinton health care plan of 1993, proposed by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford selected Dole as his running mate for that year's presidential election after Vice President Nelson Rockefeller withdrew from seeking a full term. Their ticket was defeated by the Democratic ticket of Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale in the general election. Dole sought the Republican presidential nomination in the 1980 United States presidential election, but quickly dropped out of the race. He experienced more success in the 1988 Republican presidential primaries but was defeated by Vice President George H. W. Bush. Dole won the Republican presidential nomination in 1996, selecting Jack Kemp as his running mate. The Dole–Kemp ticket lost the general election to incumbent President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Dole resigned from the Senate during his 1996 presidential campaign and did not seek public office again after the election.