Current:Home > FinanceBill Richardson is mourned in New Mexico after globe-trotting career, lies in state at Capitol-LoTradeCoin
Bill Richardson is mourned in New Mexico after globe-trotting career, lies in state at Capitol
View Date:2024-12-25 13:51:52
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Friends and admirers of former Gov. Bill Richardson are mourning the hard-charging politician whose career spanned the globe, from mountain villages of northern New Mexico as a youthful congressman, to the United Nations and a litany of countries on unofficial diplomatic missions that often helped free imprisoned Americans.
Richardson’s casket was scheduled to lie in state Wednesday in the rotunda of the New Mexico Statehouse astride a giant inlay of the New Mexico state seal and an ancient Zia Pueblo symbol of the sun.
Richardson died in his sleep at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts, earlier this month at age 75.
Final memorials and funeral services were scheduled in Santa Fe, the state capital city where Richardson served two terms as governor starting in 2003 and is still remembered for innate political skills, ambition and an ability to both clash and reconcile with rivals.
“He admired legislators who showed spunk and integrity and didn’t give in to his ‘my way or the highway,’” tactics, said state Rep. Miguel Trujillo of Albuquerque, who led a House committee on labor during Richardson’s tenure as state governor.
Former state House speaker Brian Egolf of Santa Fe witnessed Richardson’s evolution from congressman to U.S. diplomat, Cabinet secretary and then state governor. He said Richardson mentored younger people at every step.
“He was also a hard-charging person,” Egolf said of Richardson. “If he disagreed with somebody who was his friend, he wouldn’t back down, he would mix it up. ... But he always came back around and said, ‘It’s over. ... He’d shake your hand and move forward.”
William Blaine Richardson was born in Pasadena, California, but grew up in Mexico City with a Mexican mother and an American father who was a U.S. bank executive. He attended prep school in Massachusetts, earned degrees in international studies from Tufts University and worded as a Capital Hill staffer before moving to New Mexico in 1978.
The state’s Hispanic heritage was a good fit as Richardson campaigned for Congress and won his second bid in 1982 for a newly created district spanning northern New Mexico.
He resigned from Congress in 1997 to join President Bill Clinton’s administration as U.N. ambassador and became secretary of energy in 1998. Richardson later sought the 2008 Democratic nomination for president but dropped out after lackluster finishes in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
In an interview with The Associated Press in August, Richardson said he was proud of the work he had done to free dozens of people over the years and of his advocacy for the Navajo Nation.
Funeral services were scheduled for Thursday at Santa Fe’s downtown Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
veryGood! (9678)
Related
- Why the US celebrates Veterans Day and how the holiday has changed over time
- Scotland becomes the first country to offer tampons and pads for free, officials say
- States with the toughest abortion laws have the weakest maternal supports, data shows
- Flash Deal: Save $621 on the Aeropilates Reformer Machine
- Whoopi Goldberg calling herself 'a working person' garners criticism from 'The View' fans
- Rachel Bilson Reveals Her Favorite—and Least Favorite—Sex Positions
- Striving to outrace polio: What's it like living with the disease
- Look Back on King Charles III's Road to the Throne
- Where you retire could affect your tax bill. Here's how.
- Congress Launches Legislative Assault on Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan
Ranking
- GM recalls 460k cars for rear wheel lock-up: Affected models include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac
- Today’s Climate: May 22-23, 2010
- See How Rihanna, Kylie Jenner and More Switched Up Their Met Gala Looks for After-Party Attire
- Today’s Climate: May 8-9, 2010
- November 2024 full moon this week is a super moon and the beaver moon
- Encore: An animal tranquilizer is making street drugs even more dangerous
- Today’s Climate: May 24, 2010
- New Hampshire Utility’s Move to Control Green Energy Dollars is Rebuffed
Recommendation
-
Roy Haynes, Grammy-winning jazz drummer, dies at 99: Reports
-
Trump Takes Ax to Science and Other Advisory Committees, Sparking Backlash
-
States Begin to Comply with Clean Power Plan, Even While Planning to Sue
-
Utah district bans Bible in elementary and middle schools after complaint calls it sex-ridden
-
'Bizarre:' Naked man arrested after found in crawl space of California woman's home
-
Queen Charlotte's Tunji Kasim Explains How the Show Mirrors Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Story
-
How realistic are the post-Roe abortion workarounds that are filling social media?
-
Flash Deal: Save $621 on the Aeropilates Reformer Machine