Former Sen. Jon Kyl, who shaped water policy and backed Kavanaugh, dies at 84
He was not on the list.
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PHOENIX (AP/AZFamily) — Former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, a longtime Republican lawmaker from Arizona who shaped landmark water policies in the U.S. West and guided the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, has died. He was 84.
Kyl died Wednesday night from a neurological disorder, said Gordon James, a communications professional who is a longtime friend of the Kyl family.
Kyl served in the U.S. House from 1987 to 1995 and the Senate from 1995 to 2013. He had withdrawn from public life in December 2025 after announcing he had been diagnosed with dementia.
He was born in Oakland, Nebraska, on April 25, 1942, and grew up in a rural farming district in Iowa that his father represented in the U.S. House. At 18, he headed southwest to attend the University of Arizona, where he met his wife, Caryll, and earned a law degree.
Kyl remembered as a ‘giant’ in Senate
He represented Arizona in both chambers of Congress for nearly three decades, with his career spanning Ronald Reagan’s presidency to President Donald Trump’s first term.
After retiring from politics in 2013 and becoming a lobbyist, Kyl returned to Congress briefly in 2018, when Ducey appointed him to fill the vacancy left by the late U.S. Sen. John McCain.
Kyl rose to a leadership position during his last full term in the Senate, when his Republican colleagues selected him as minority whip.
Kyl’s appointment drew high praise from Trump, who said he was looking forward to working with “the extraordinary senator.” Kyl stayed for less than four months before rejoining lobbying firm Covington and Burling.
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Kyl was a “giant” in the Senate, further describing him as serious, engaging, forthright and thoughtful. His biggest impacts, Ducey said, came from the way he kept the Republican caucus together in opposition to Obamacare and his staunch support of Israel.
Kyl also backed legislation to authorize construction of a fence stretching hundreds of miles along the U.S.-Mexico border. He later joined with Democrats to support a bill that would provide a path to citizenship and temporary guest-worker status for those in the U.S. without authorization. The proposal ultimately failed.
As a lobbyist, Kyl helped guide the confirmation of Trump-picked U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. When Kyl returned to the halls of Congress in 2018, he was known as Kavanaugh’s chief Sherpa — an informal but widely known term for a nominee’s guide to the political tundra in the Senate.
In a statement disclosing his dementia diagnosis, Kyl harkened back to the words of Reagan, when the former president revealed his own Alzheimer’s diagnosis and said he was starting a journey that would lead him to the end of his life.
Kyl said he shared Reagan’s confidence for Arizona and the nation’s future, and that despite his diagnosis, he was a “very fortunate man.”
Shaped Arizona’s historic water policies
Before being elected for the first of his four terms in the House in 1987, Kyl was a key participant in shaping Arizona’s 1980 groundwater code as a lawyer representing a large water utility. The first-of-its-kind code created a regulatory framework for managing groundwater in the drought-stricken state, largely centering on the state’s population centers, including Phoenix and Tucson.
In 2004, Kyl authored legislation that provided one of the largest tribal water rights settlements, which, after a decades-long battle, gave the Gila River Indian Community enough water to fill nearly 313,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools annually.
Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who later served as majority leader, called Kyl’s work ethic “legendary” in a 2012 floor speech and said Kyl had labored mostly behind the scenes for 15 years to advance the settlement.
Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy takes its name from him.
State, local leaders pay respects
Ducey, who considered Kyl a mentor, described the former senator in a February 2025 interview with The Associated Press as a true statesman and a “workhorse” among Washington, D.C.’s “showhorses.”
“Jon Kyl gave Arizona nearly three decades of principled, thoughtful leadership — and he gave me something just as valuable: his mentorship and friendship. I’ll miss him deeply. Rest in peace, Senator Kyl,” Ducey posted on X.
Gov. Katie Hobbs said Kyl was a dedicated leader who cared deeply for Arizona.
“Arizonans are mourning the loss of former U.S. Senator Jon
Kyl. Throughout his decades of public service in the House and Senate, he was a
dedicated statesman who always cared deeply for our state. My thoughts and
deepest condolences are with his family and loved ones, ”she said.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also paid homage to the late political leader.
“Devastating news. Senator Kyl was, in the truest sense of the word, a statesman. In addition to his many, many accomplishments, some do not know the efforts he extended to help children and other victims of sex crimes by championing evidence rule changes which continue to have an incredibly positive impact. My prayers go out to his family,” Mitchell posted.
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes shared condolences to Kyl’s loved ones and highlighted his contributions to tribal water rights.
“He made a lasting contribution through his work on tribal
water rights, helping bring stakeholders together and advance important water
settlement in Arizona. His dedication to public service and to resolving some
of the West’s most complex water challenges is his legacy. Our heartfelt
condolences go out to all who had the privilege of knowing him. May he rest in
peace,” Fontes said.
Former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake praised Kyl for his longtime work, adding that “Arizona has lost a giant.”
“Jon Kyl was one of the most diligent and effective public servants Arizona has ever had. I was honored to follow him in the U.S. Senate, where his example of seriousness, integrity and devotion to public service was known to all. Cheryl and I send our deepest condolences to Caryll and the entire Kyl family,” Flake posted on X.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said Arizona has lost “one of its finest statesman.”
“Whether he was negotiating complex water agreements or helping guide our nation’s security policy, Senator Kyl brought credibility, good judgment, and a determination to deliver results. He earned the respect of people across the political spectrum without compromising his principles. Just as important, Senator Kyl understood that public service is about more than holding office. It is about protecting the country, solving difficult problems, and leaving the next generation stronger than the one before it. He set an example that my colleagues and I continue to look to in our own service to Arizona,” a portion of Petersen’s statement said.
Former Gov. Jan Brewer praised Kyl, stating he served the state and nation with “extraordinary intellect.”
“Arizona has lost one of its finest public servants. Senator Jon Kyl served our state and nation with extraordinary intellect, integrity and humility. John and I extend our deepest condolences to Caryll and the entire Kyl family. May God comfort them, and may Jon rest in peace,” she said.
Following the death of John McCain in 2018, Kyl briefly returned to the Senate; his resignation led to the appointment of Martha McSally in 2019. He held both of Arizona's Senate seats at different times, serving alongside McCain during his first stint. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as Senate Minority Whip from 2007 until 2013. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1995. He first joined the lobbying firm Covington & Burling after retiring in 2013, then rejoined in 2019.
