Former West Virginia Gov. and Sen. Jay Rockefeller dies at 89
What's new: Rockefeller, a Democrat from the famous family, spent nearly five decades in West Virginia public life before retiring in 2015.
Jay Rockefeller, the former West Virginia governor and longtime U.S. senator, died Thursday night at his home in Washington at age 89. Mary Stewart of WETA said Rockefeller died as his wife, Sharon Rockefeller, leads the public broadcasting station as president and CEO. Born John D. Rockefeller IV in New York City, he broke with his family’s Republican tradition, moved to West Virginia in 1964 with an anti-poverty program and built a political career there as a Democrat. He served two terms as governor after winning the office in 1976 and went on to spend nearly 30 years in the Senate, retiring in 2015 as the last political figure from the Rockefeller dynasty.