Eliot Engel, a former New York congressman who represented parts of Westchester County, including Rye, died Friday at the age of 79.
The Bronx native served 16 terms as a Democrat in the House of Representatives from 1989-2021.
“Throughout his career, Congressman Engel was a fierce advocate for his constituents in Westchester and the Bronx,” Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said in a statement. “He was a champion of human rights, and as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he helped shape U.S. policy on the global stage while never losing sight of the needs of the communities he represented at home.”
Engel was a member of the New York State Assembly for over 10 years before he became a congressman in 1988. His tenure in Congress lasted more than 30 years, until he was defeated in a 2020 Democratic primary.
The son of an ironworker and a homemaker, born in the Bronx and raised in public housing, Engel was a progressive Democratic leader. During his final years in office, he served as ranking member and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
