Bob Packwood, Former Senator and Advocate, Dies at 93
Bob Packwood, a moderate Republican senator known for his advocacy of abortion rights and women's issues, passed away at the age of 93. His career, however, ended amid allegations of sexual harassment that overshadowed his political achievements.
Packwood's death was announced on Saturday through an obituary distributed to media outlets by his family. No further details regarding the circumstances of his passing were provided.
Political Career and Controversy
Throughout his 27 years in the Senate, Packwood was recognized as a political fighter who initially resisted calls to resign, expressing a desire not to be remembered solely for the controversy that marred his final years in office.
Prior to the rise of the #MeToo movement, Packwood's case was a notable example of private misconduct damaging a public figure's reputation. He had received commendations from organizations such as Planned Parenthood for his support of women's rights.
Descended from a participant in the 1857 Constitutional Convention, Packwood built a reputation as a social moderate and fiscal conservative who frequently crossed party lines. He even contemplated a presidential run in 1980.
First elected to the Senate in 1968, Packwood was best known as the leading Republican advocate for abortion rights, earning admiration from women's groups nationwide until a Senate ethics committee investigation was initiated in 1993 regarding allegations of sexual and official misconduct.
More than two dozen women, including former employees and acquaintances, accused him of making unwanted or uninvited sexual advances. The ethics investigation expanded to include other allegations of official misconduct, culminating in Packwood's resignation in September 1995. Subsequently, he established a successful lobbying firm in Washington, D.C.
Reactions and Legacy
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, who succeeded Packwood in 1996, acknowledged his legislative accomplishments but emphasized that his mistreatment of women overshadowed his public record.
“His horrible history as documented in his own diaries will forever overshadow that public record. Simply put, historians’ first line about Bob Packwood must include those women who he abused and assaulted for years and years,” Wyden stated.
As chair and later ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, Packwood was known for his skill in negotiating compromises essential for passing tax legislation. He took particular pride in leading the 1986 tax reform that lowered the top income tax bracket and eliminated many itemized deductions.
Throughout his career, Packwood was described with various terms including blunt, independent, outspoken, maverick, boat-rocker, loose cannon, skilled partisan, and political survivor.
“I think they probably all ring true,” Packwood told the Associated Press in December 1992.
“I would like to think that I am nobody’s lackey. I try to reach conclusions independently and then I’m willing to fight for those conclusions; if necessary, having to fight against my party or my party’s president,” he added.
Post-Senate Life and Views
After his departure from Congress, during a period of increasing partisanship, Packwood continued to advocate for a centrist approach. In a 2010 speech at the City Club of Portland, he called for Oregon to adopt nonpartisan elections.
Packwood was married to Elaine Franklin, his former chief of staff who later became a political consultant in Portland. The couple maintained residences in the Portland area and Washington, D.C.
In a November 2002 interview with the Salem Statesman Journal, Packwood reflected on the scandal that ended his political career.
“People have told me it must have been tough on me, or it seems unfair,” he said. “But you cannot go through the rest of life and say look what happened. Pretty soon you become a bore to your friends.
“I told myself I was not old enough to retire, so I have got to get at life and not complain about it.”
