New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg died early Monday, his office says in a statement sent to reporters.
He was 89. According to the statement, the Democratic senator "passed away due to complications from viral pneumonia at 4:02 a.m. today at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell."
As the senator's office adds, Lautenberg was "the last remaining World War II veteran serving in the Senate."
He announced in February that he would not be seeking a sixth term in the Senate.
It's All Politics will have more about Lautenberg later today.
Lautenberg's office writes that:
"Senator Lautenberg was born the son of immigrants and grew up poor in Paterson, New Jersey. He enlisted in the military at the age of 18 and served in the Army in Europe during World War II. Upon returning home, he graduated from Columbia University with the help of the G.I. Bill. He joined with two boyhood friends to found Automatic Data Processing (ADP), which today employees 57,000 people worldwide and 4,500 in New Jersey. He left the business world to pursue a career in public service and give back to the country that helped give him so much."
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