Former Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the longest serving senator in Utah history, has died at age 88.
According to the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, Hatch died at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Salt Lake City, surrounded by family.
Hatch was first sworn into the Senate in 1977. He served until 2019 when current Sen. Mitt Romney won his seat. Hatch served as president pro tempore from 2015 to 2019.
“He was a profoundly positive influence in the lives of those he served, whether they were the constituents he helped over four decades of casework, the hundreds of interns he sponsored in both Utah and DC, or the robust network of Hatch staffers who carry on his legacy to this day,” Matt Sandgren, Executive Director of the Hatch Foundation. “Senator Hatch touched the hearts of countless individuals, and I know I speak for all of them when I say he will be dearly missed.”
