Don Riegle obit

Don Riegle, Flint native who served under 7 presidents in Congress, dies at 88

 

He was not on the list.

FLINT, MI — Former U.S. Sen. Donald W. Riegle, a Flint native who served under seven presidents in Congress, has died of cardiac arrest, his family told MLive-The Flint Journal.

Riegle, one of only a few members of Congress elected as both a Republican and a Democrat, was 88.

He died peacefully at his home in San Diego, California, on Friday, April 24, with Lori Hansen Riegle, his wife of 48 years, at his side, according to a statement from his family.

“The cornerstone of our family, Don was a kind, loving, courageous leader who taught us to stand up for justice, economic opportunity, and fairness for everyone,” the statement reads. “He tirelessly fought for the rights of the working men and women of Michigan and led the Senate opposition to NAFTA, the trade agreement that resulted in the loss of many jobs in Michigan.

“We miss him profoundly and are forever grateful for his decency and commitment to seeing the good in others.”

Riegle was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1966 at age 28.

He was born in Flint on Feb. 4, 1938, attended public schools in Flint and Flint Junior College before continuing his higher education at Western Michigan University, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Harvard Business School.

In Congress, he challenged the Richard Nixon administration’s policies on the Vietnam War and changed parties — from Republican to Democrat — in 1973. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976 and served until 1994.

Riegle left the Senate in the wake of the Keating Five controversy, in which he and four other senators endured highly publicized Ethics Committee hearings in 1990 over whether they pressured federal regulators to go easy on savings and loan kingpin Charles Keating after receiving campaign contributions from him and his associates.

The committee absolved Riegle of breaking any laws or Senate rules, but said his conduct gave the appearance of being improper and that he had been insensitive and used poor judgment.

The statement from his family recalls his commitment to equal rights for women and work with Congresswoman Bella Abzug of New York in securing the 1973 enactment of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prevented discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status in the granting of credit.

In the Senate, Riegle was the lead sponsor of the Chrysler Loan Guarantee Bill, which authorized federal loan guarantees to prevent the automaker’s bankruptcy.

A former chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, he presided over the passage of financial reforms of the savings and loan industry and helped to create a system of community development banks.

Former Congressman Dan Kildee of Flint said in a statement that he had known Riegle since childhood.

“He loved his hometown of Flint. He was very helpful to me throughout my career, but especially in my time in Congress,” Kildee’s statement reads. “When I was in Congress we would talk regularly, and his advice was very thoughtful and always helpful to me.

“We spoke often about how he, my uncle Dale, and I all came from the east side of Flint and that those origins were an important connection that helped define our work.”

Kildee said Riegle called him in 2023, on the day he announced that he was not running for reelection, “to congratulate me and tell me he understood why I decided to come home.

“On that day, I realized he’d become more than a mentor. He was my friend,” Kildee said.

Riegle’s family described him as a “devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and fighter for Michigan.”

“He dedicated much of his life to public service, always seeking to make life better for those in need,” the statement reads. “Don was not inclined to dwell on his achievements during the 28 years he served the people of Michigan, instead preferring to work to accomplish more for those he represented.”

After retiring from the Senate, Riegle remained active in presidential politics — supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 primary and subsequent elections.

He endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president in Flint in 2016, on the day Sanders debated Hillary Clinton here as the two competed for the Democratic nomination.

Also in 2016, Riegle wrote of the Flint water crisis in The Huffington Post, calling it “a monstrous dereliction of duty.”

In 1972, while serving in the House, Riegle authored with journalist and writer Trevor Armbrister “O Congress,” a book that detailed the inner workings of Congress and Riegle’s opposition to the Vietnam War and Nixon’s policies.

In 2001, he became chairman of government relations for public relations firm APCO Worldwide.

Riegle spent his retirement in both Michigan and California, according to his family.

Memorial arrangements will be announced at a later date.