John Warner, a five-term Republican Senator, died at age 94.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo

John Warner, a five-term Virginia senator and military leader has died at age 94, according to the Associated Press. 

Warner, a Republican who began serving in the Virginia senate in 1978, died of heart failure at his home in Alexandria on Tuesday surrounded by his family.

One of the few World War II veterans in the Senate during the later years of his tenure, Warner served as the chairman of the Armed Forces Committee. He was also a former secretary of the Navy, and the one-time husband of actor Elizabeth Taylor.

Despite identifying as a Republican, Warner often bucked his GOP colleagues, winning over both Virginia independents and Democrats. The Washington Post heralded Warner as one of the more influential members of the Senate, known for his consensus-building on critical issues. In 2016, he endorsed then-candidate Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia (D), and went on to endorse Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

“Virginia has lost an unmatched leader, and my family has lost a dear friend,” said Kaine of Warner’s death, according to the Associated Press. “Once I came to the Senate, I understood even more deeply the influence of John Warner. I came to know John McCain, Carl Levin, and so many others who served with him and attested to his integrity and outsized influence in a body he loved so dearly.”

Gov. Ralph Northam (D) issued a statement on Warner’s death Wednesday, highlighting the former senator’s track record of building bipartisan agreement.

“Virginia, and America, have lost a giant,” Northam wrote. “John helped build up his political party and always remained an independent voice. He used that voice in the Senate to forge bipartisan compromise, knowing how and when to reach across the aisle. And he always put Virginia first.”

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia (D), who challenged John Warner for the senate seat in 1996 and lost, called Warner the “gold standard” in a tweet Wednesday morning. (The two are not related). Mark Warner went on to fill John Warner’s vacant seat in 2008 following his retirement.

This post has been updated with a statement from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. 

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