Senator Jesse Helms Dies
Friday, July 04 2008
by Laura Leslie
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Photo: JesseHelms.com
Former US Senator Jesse Helms died early this morning in Raleigh. He was 86.
The five-term Republican first won his seat in 1972. Dubbed "Senator No" for his hard-line conservatism, Helms became a right-wing icon, revered by his party.
Helms was a lightning rod for political controversy, known for his rants against
"pointy-headed liberals," his fight against the Voting
Rights Act in 1982, and his "racial quota" campaign ad that helped him
defeat an African-American challenger, Democrat Harvey Gantt, in 1990.
Helms opted not to run for re-election in 2002. He retired in 2003, and had been in failing health in recent years.
