Former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, a pioneering member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first Black chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, died Monday at the age of 94. Rangel’s family confirmed his death in a statement, saying he passed away at a New York hospital.
Rangel was first elected to Congress in 1970 and served longer than any other New Yorker, except for Emanuel Celler. He retired in 2016 after winning a 23rd term, making him the ninth-longest continuously serving member of the House in American history.
In addition to his congressional career, Rangel served as a state assemblyman in New York for two terms. He was also a veteran of the Korean War and the last surviving member of Harlem’s “Gang of Four.” The influential group also included former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins and civil rights activist Percy Sutton.
