Arizona Republican Jon Kyl dies at 84 after battle with dementia

Republican Jon Kyl, who represented Arizona in both chambers of Congress, died Thursday at age 84 following a battle with dementia.Kyl’s family released a statement following his death, saying he died following complications due to his dementia, which he was diagnosed with in December 2025.“We know that Jon belonged to all of Arizona, a state he loved and explored with vigor, curiosity and wonder,” the Kyl family said. “Serving his state and nation in Congress was a privilege and responsibility he honored and respected. We are grateful for his full and meaningful public life.” Republican congressional candidate Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker, mourned Kyl in a social media post, calling him a “true statesman.”“Arizona has lost a true statesman,” Feely said. “For nearly three decades, Jon Kyl served our state with integrity, intellect, and a deep love of country, from securing our water future to defending the Constitution. Rebecca and I are praying for the Kyl family.”Lawmakers across the aisle from the Grand Canyon State remembered Kyl, including Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ), who celebrated Kyl as a legislator.“He was a serious and principled lawmaker, with a mastery of policy that made him one of the most effective leaders our state has ever sent to Washington,” Stanton said. “His fingerprints are all over the issues that continue to define Arizona’s future, especially water.”Kyl represented Arizona in Congress for almost three decades. He served four terms in the House beginning in 1987 until he was elected to the first of three Senate terms in 1994. The Arizona Republican left Congress in 2013 as the No. 2 Republican, the Senate minority whip.Kyl made a four-month return to the Senate when he was appointed in September 2018 by then-Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) to fill a seat left vacant after the death of Sen. John McCain. During his stint out of office and after leaving for good, Kyl worked at a lobbying firm in Arizona, where he worked with high-profile clients including Anheuser-Busch, Georgetown University, and Northrop Grumman.During a speech in 2012, McCain praised Kyl as a “diligent advocate” of Arizona’s interests, characterizing his colleague as a steward of bipartisanship.STATES HOLD OFF ON DISCARDING 2024 BALLOTS AFTER DOJ NOTICE“It’s a fortunate thing for them, and for me, that states are represented by two senators and that Arizonans have had Jon Kyl here to compensate for my shortcomings,” McCain said at the time, recognizing Kyl for his patience.At the end of his tenure, Kyl played a significant role in the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, working with President Donald Trump during his first term and then-Vice President Mike Pence to move forward with Kavanaugh’s nomination.