Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl Dies at 84
Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl Dies at 84
The News
Former Sen. Jon Kyl, the Arizona Republican who rose to the No. 2 job in his party's Senate caucus, has died at 84 from complications of a neurological disease, his family announced Thursday.
Kyl died Wednesday, a friend of the family told the Boston Globe. He had withdrawn from public life in 2025 after disclosing a dementia diagnosis.
He spent more than 25 years in Congress, was first sworn into the Senate in 1995 and retired in 2013 — then returned briefly in 2018 to fill the seat left by Sen. John McCain's death.
Timeline
Kyl is sworn into the U.S. Senate representing Arizona, after service in Congress that spanned nearly three decades in all.
He retires from the Senate at the end of his third term, having climbed to the second-highest position in the Republican-held caucus as minority whip.
Kyl returns to the Senate following the death of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
He withdraws from public life after announcing he has been diagnosed with dementia.
Kyl dies of a neurological disorder, according to a friend of the family.
His family announces the death in a written statement.
Reactions
"Our husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother, Jon Kyl, has passed away at the age of 84 due to complications from a neurological disease," the family said in a statement reported by The Hill.
The New York Times described Kyl as a senator known for his skills behind the scenes, writing that he rose to the second-highest post in the Republican Senate caucus on the strength of his policy smarts and political sense.
Conservative outlets framed his death as the end of a long fight with dementia. Townhall's headline read: "Former Republican Senator Dies After Dementia Battle."
What's Next
The initial reports of Kyl's death did not include funeral or memorial arrangements.
Tributes from Arizona officials and former Senate colleagues are expected as word of the death spreads.
More
His Legacy
Beyond leadership, Kyl was best known in Arizona for his work on water — he helped shape federal water policy and tribal water rights settlements, according to The National Desk.
His 2018 appointment made him one of the rare former senators to be brought back to the chamber he had already left, taking McCain's seat after the Arizona Republican's death.
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