Former New York Congressman Richard Hanna has died. The 69-year-old independent Republican from the Utica area 22nd district, now represented by Anthony Brindisi, was battling cancer.
He died Sunday at a hospital in Oneida County, according to Syracuse.com. Brindisi, a Democrat, called Hanna a personal friend and professional mentor:
“I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Richard Hanna, a personal friend and professional mentor. The Congressman was a giant of upstate New York, a public servant who ‘talked the talk’ and ‘walked the walk’ in his bipartisan service to this community. He put people before politics, our hometown above all else, and he led with true heart. Our community is better for his service and he will be dearly missed. Erica and I send our deepest condolences to Richard’s wife, Kim, their children, and the entire Hanna family during this difficult time.”
Hanna spoke in WAMC’s Congressional Corner in 2010.
“I don’t have to be a typical Republican, either,” Hanna said. “I think the Republicans have moved away from me. I haven’t moved away from them so much. What I watched under George Bush with the wild spending and two wars and just this hard right social agenda – this kind of sanctimonious notion that they’ve taken on. It’s not me. But it has been in the past in the Republican Party. I hope to be one of those people who add some balance and thought and a little bit more deliberate action and less demagoguery.”
Hanna served from 2011 to 2017, and broke ranks with the party to back Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid in 2016.
Hanna's family shared the following statement:
Congressman Richard Hanna passed away on Sunday, March 15 with his loving family by his side after a private and courageous battle with cancer. His life and work will remain an inspiration for generations to come – from the structures he built through Hanna Construction to his charitable works that continue to benefit the lives of many in our community, and the indelible mark he left on the U.S. House of Representatives standing for tolerance, personal freedom, and equal rights for all.
Richard was honorable, he led by example, and always stood for what he believed was right. His passing leaves an enormous hole in the hearts of those who loved him. Most of all his beloved wife Kim, his children Emerson and Grace who were his reason for being, his siblings, his family and friends.
