Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson dead at 75
Bill Richardson, a former two-term Democratic
governor of New Mexico and later U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
has died. He was 75.
The Richardson Center for
Global Engagement, which he founded, said in a statement Saturday that
he died in his sleep at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts.
"Governor
Richardson passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. He lived his
entire life in the service of others – including both his time in
government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage
or wrongfully detained abroad. There was no person that Governor
Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a
person to freedom. The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly
abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend," said Mickey
Bergman, vice president of the Richardson Center.
"Right now our
focus is on supporting his family, including his wife Barbara of over 50
years, who was with him when he passed. We will share further
information as it becomes available," he added.
Richardson was a U.S. congressman and Secretary of Energy under
President Bill Clinton in addition to his roles as governor and
ambassador to the U.N.
However, he is best known for his
post-government career, in which he worked with his nonprofit foundation
to free people held as political prisoners or hostages in foreign
countries.
Founded in 2011, the Richardson Center for Global
Engagement has worked with more than 80 million families and provided
them support and guidance while their loved ones were detained abroad.
Richardson engaged in "fringe diplomacy" to bring foreign parties to the
negotiating table and bring those detained back home, the Center said
Richardson's work earned him multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, including for this year.
Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., issued a statement calling Richardson a "giant in public service and government."
"In
his post-government career, he was trusted to handle some of the most
sensitive diplomatic crises, and he did so with great success. Here in
New Mexico, we will always remember him as our Governor. He never
stopped fighting for the state he called home," Luján said.
"Governor
Richardson was a close friend who held the same House seat that I was
elected to. He knew how to get things done, and he worked closely with
my late father in the Legislature.
"His passing is incredibly heartbreaking for so many New Mexicans who
knew and respected him. He leaves behind a legacy that will never be
matched, and one that New Mexicans will always take pride in. My prayers
are with Barbara, the Richardson family, and all New Mexicans. His
memory will always be a blessing.
