Fred Harris, Former U.S. Senator and Populist Leader, Dies at 94

Fred Harris, a former United States senator from Oklahoma known for his impactful political career and leadership within the Democratic Party during the 1960s, passed away on Saturday at the age of 94. His wife, Margaret Elliston, confirmed his death to the Associated Press, stating, «Fred Harris passed peacefully early this morning of natural causes. He was a wonderful and beloved man. His memory is a blessing.» Harris had resided in New Mexico since 1976.

Harris served in the U.S. Senate for eight years, beginning in 1964 after winning an election to fill a vacancy. Although he made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1976, Harris remained a prominent figure in politics. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed her condolences in a social media post, saying, «Harris was a towering presence in politics and in academia, and his work over many decades improved New Mexico and the nation.»

As chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 1969 and 1970, Harris played a significant role in reforming the party’s processes, notably advocating for increased diversity and inclusivity among convention delegates and leadership. Reflecting on these changes during a 2004 interview, Harris remarked, «It’s made the selection much more legitimate and democratic.»

A liberal voice for civil rights and anti-poverty programs, Harris was involved in numerous initiatives to support minorities and the disadvantaged. Alongside his first wife, LaDonna Harris, a Comanche, he was also active in Native American issues. In a 1998 interview, he described himself as a populist or progressive, saying, «I’m against concentrated power. I don’t like the power of money in politics. I think we ought to have programs for the middle class and working class.»

Harris was a member of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known as the Kerner Commission. Appointed by President Lyndon Johnson in the late 1960s, the commission investigated urban riots and reported the growing racial divide in America. Thirty years later, Harris co-authored a follow-up report, highlighting ongoing disparities.

In his political career, Harris was notably a co-chairman of Hubert Humphrey’s 1968 presidential campaign, during which he urged a stance against the Vietnam War. Despite these efforts, Humphrey’s delayed response contributed to a narrow loss to Republican Richard Nixon.

Fred Harris was born on November 13, 1930, in rural Oklahoma and worked various jobs to fund his education at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree. He entered the Oklahoma state Senate in 1956 and began his national political career in 1964 to fill the vacancy left by Senator Robert S. Kerr‘s death.

Harris was married twice, first to LaDonna Vita Crawford, with whom he had three children, and later to Margaret Elliston. Complete details regarding his survivors were not immediately available.