Frank R. Lautenberg, who fought the alcohol and tobacco industries and promoted Amtrak as a five-term United States senator from New Jersey, died Monday morning in Manhattan. He was 89.
The cause was complications from viral pneumonia, his office said.
In 2010, his office announced that he had stomach cancer. Dr. James F. Holland, an oncologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, said then that he expected the senator to make a “full and complete recovery.” However, he had decided not to run for another term next year.
First elected in 1982 at age 58 after a successful business career, Mr. Lautenberg, a Democrat, served three terms, retired and instantly regretted the decision. When Senator Robert G. Torricelli made a last-minute decision not to seek re-election in 2002, Mr. Lautenberg ran in his place and won the seat. He was re-elected in 2008.
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