Joe Lieberman was a U.S. Senator for the state of Connecticut for two decades. He was also the Vice Presidential running mate for Al Gore on the Democratic ticket back in 2000. Eight years later, he almost became the Vice Presidential running mate for John McCain on the Republican ticket.

Now, Lieberman’s family has confirmed the sad news that he has died at the age of 82 years old. AP News reports he was in New York City at the time of his death on Wednesday March 27, 2024. The cause of death was related to complications from a fall.

Lieberman was a Democrat when he first became a Senator, but he later switched to an Independent. Even though he chose to leave the Democratic party, many Democrats still agreed with his feelings about many political issues including gay rights, civil rights and abortion.

Upon learning the news of Lieberman’s death, Gore released a statement in which he called Lieberman “a truly gifted leader, whose affable personality and strong will made him a force to be reckoned with.” He added, “It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail.”

Lieberman attempted to run for President back in 2004, but quickly dropped out of the race when he didn’t do well in the primaries. In 2008, he switched his party from Democrat to Independent so that he could run alongside Republican John McCain. In the end, McCain didn’t chose Lieberman to be his running mate. He chose Sarah Palin instead after backlash from Republicans who didn’t like Lieberman’s liberal political views.

In 2013, Lieberman announced he was retiring from the Senate. At the time, he acknowledged that he knew he did “not always fit comfortably into conventional political boxes.” He explained that he felt it was more important to do what he thought was right for his constituents than to stand with a specific political party. He told Congress, “It requires reaching across the aisle and finding partners from the opposite party.” He added, “That is what is desperately needed in Washington now.”

Retiring from the Senate didn’t mean that Lieberman was retiring altogether. After stepping away from the Senate, he joined a law firm in New York City.

Lieberman is survived by his wife, Hadassah, and their four children.

Watch the video below to learn more about the news of Lieberman’s death.