SAN FRANCISCO – Former California Congressman Fortney “Pete” Stark died Friday, according to a statement released by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He was 88 years old.
“Today, America has lost a champion of the people and a leader of great integrity, moral courage and compassion,” Pelosi said. “Congressman Pete Stark was a master legislator who used his gavel to give a voice to the voiceless, and he will be deeply missed by Congress, Californians and all Americans.”
Stark served in Congress 40 years and most recently as the representative for the East Bay district that includes Alameda, Oakland and Berkeley. In 2012, Stark lost his seat to Democratic upstart Eric Swalwell following a campaign marked by a series of gaffes, including false accusations that Swalwell had accepted bribes from Dublin-area developers.
Similar to how Stark challenged an elderly incumbent opponent in 1972, Swalwell zeroed in on Stark’s age and characterized him as being out of touch with his constituents.
“I went to Washington by running against an unpopular war and for women’s rights, opportunity for children and dignity for seniors,” Stark said in a statement following the loss. “I leave knowing that the landscape has changed, but the needs of my constituents remain.”
Swalwell noted Stark’s death in a Twitter post.
“Pete Stark gave the East Bay decades of public service as a voice in Congress for working people,” Swalwell said. “His knowledge of policy, particularly health care, & his opposition to unnecessary wars demonstrated his deep care and spirit. Our community mourns his loss.”
In her statement, Pelosi said Stark, the longtime leader of the Health Subcommittee on the Ways and Means Committee, dedicated his life to defending every American’s right to affordable health care.
“He made a difference in the lives of millions – from creating the COBRA initiative to help working Americans maintain their coverage during times of financial insecurity, authoring life-saving legislation ensuring that hospitals must treat all people seeking emergency treatment regardless of their coverage and protecting Medicare from partisan attacks,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi also lauded Stark for his work to advance the well-being of foster children, ban anti-LGBTQ discrimination in adoptions, enact paid family leave, strengthen access to quality education and protect clean air and water.
“He fully and fundamentally believed that government was about fighting for the people’s interest, not the special interests, and cherished his responsibility to lift up families in the Bay Area,” Pelosi said.
Stark is survived by his wife, Deborah; his children, Jeffrey, Beatrice, Thekla, Sarah, Fortney “Fish” Hannah and Andrew; his eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
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