Al Quie was a Republican who served in Congress for more than 20 years and as Governor of Minnesota, in addition to being considered twice as a potential vice-presidential running mate in a U.S. presidential election.
- Died: August 18, 2023 (Who else died on August 18?)
- Details of death: Died of natural causes in Wayzata, Minnesota, at the age of 99.
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Al Quie’s legacy
Born on a Minnesota farm to Norwegian immigrants, Quie grew up milking cows. He joined the Navy as a pilot during World War II and earned a degree in political science from St. Olaf College before launching his career as a politician. He ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1952 but lost his bid. However, he won election to the Minnesota State Senate in 1954 and made the leap to Congress four years later.
Quie served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1958 to1979. A lifelong, third-generation Republican, Quie was known as a moderate at the time. He voted for the Civil Rights Acts of 1960, 1964, and 1968, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He was also an advocate of the law that became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which mandates equal educational access for disabled students. Quie was so respected that both President Gerald Ford and President Ronald Reagan considered him for vice president.
Quie was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1978, but his tenure was stung by a deep economic recession, and he opted not to run again. After retiring from politics, Quie spent time working with Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit Christian ministry that works with incarcerated people. He’d later split with the Republican Party over his support of a third-party candidate and walked away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church over its support of same sex marriage. He spent the last 10 years of his life in a managed care facility.
Tributes to Al Quie
Full obituary: The Washington Post
