BREAKING: Former Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe dies at 89

Inhofe died early on Tuesday, according to KOCO 5 News.

He died early in the morning surrounded by his wife and children. He had suffered a sudden illness over Independence Day, according to sources who spoke to the outlet. The Republican lawmaker was longtime figure in Oklahoma politics for over 50 years. Inhofe ran for office 51 times and won 48 of those races.

Inhofe became a US senator starting in 1994. He then served for five terms before he retired in 2022. He was the longest serving US senator for the state of Oklahoma.

When he retired in 2022, Inhofe wrote of his time in office, “It’s been 28 years since that special election in 1994 and it’s been my honor to serve the people of Oklahoma. My time in office will come to a close in January and I look forward to passing the torch to Markwayne Mullin.”

Prior to being elected to the Senate, Inhofe served in the House of Representatives starting in 1987 before moving onto the Senate chamber. He also served as the mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma between the years of 1978 and 1984, per Fox News.

Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) said that Inhofe was a "dear friend and mentor, a titan in Oklahoma, and a highly effective leader in DC."

"Tammy and I are keeping Kay and the rest of the Inhofe family in our prayers," Hern added. "Jim spent his life in service to his country, both in uniform and in the halls of Congress. He will always be remembered as a fighter, especially for our military service members."