Eliot Engel, who worked on foreign affairs for decades, dies at 79

The New York Democrat won his first congressional election in 1988. In 2020, he lost in the primary to now-former Rep. Jamaal Bowman in a race seen as a progressive upset.

Former U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat who chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee and played an influential role in matters from the Balkans to the Beltway, including President Donald Trump’s first impeachment, has died. He was 79.

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Engel died Friday at a Bronx hospital of complications of Parkinson’s disease, according to his family.

“During his over 44 years in public service, Eliot Engel fought tirelessly for his constituents at home and for peace and security around the world,” the family said in a statement.