Former U.S. Senator Fred Harris, a self-described populist Democrat from Oklahoma, has passed away at the age of 94. His wife, Margaret Elliston, confirmed his death, stating that he passed peacefully of natural causes. Harris, who served eight years in the U.S. Senate and ran for president in 1976, was remembered as a beloved figure.
Harris began his political career in the Oklahoma State Senate in 1956 before moving on to national politics in 1964 when he won a Senate race. Throughout his career, Harris identified as a populist and progressive, advocating against concentrated power and the influence of money in politics. He was a member of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, which highlighted the racial disparities in American society.
