politics
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, former U.S. senator from Kansas, dies at 94
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, a Kansas governor's daughter who became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without following a spouse into office, has died, her son Bill Kassebaum told CBS News on Saturday. She was 94.
TL;DR
- Nancy Kassebaum Baker, a former U.S. Senator from Kansas, died at the age of 94.
- She was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate who did not follow a spouse into office.
- Kassebaum Baker served three terms, from 1978 to 1997, as a moderate, progressive Republican.
- She was known for her independent political voice and willingness to engage with constituents.
- She co-sponsored a 1996 health insurance law with Senator Ted Kennedy and supported a ban on assault weapons.
- Kassebaum Baker later broke with the Republican Party as it became more conservative, endorsing Democratic candidates.