WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. (AP) – Former U.S. Rep. Benjamin Gilman, a New York Republican who chaired the House Committee on International Relations in the 1990s, died Saturday at age 94.
Gilman’s death at a Veterans Affairs facility in Wappingers Falls, New York was announced by former staff member Richard Mayfield.
Gilman was first elected to Congress in 1972 and served until 2003, representing the lower Hudson Valley area north of New York City.
His political career ended when his district was merged with another district in 2002, which would have forced him to run against fellow Congress member Sue Kelly in a Republican primary for the newly consolidated seat.
Gilman considered switching to the Democratic Party before deciding to step down instead.