Johnny Isakson, former Republican senator from Georgia, dies at 76
Johnny Isakson, the longtime Georgia politician who championed his dealmaking skills with a 45-year public service record, has died, the Isakson Initiative said in a statement on Sunday. He was 76.
"It is with deep sorrow that The Isakson Initiative shares that former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson passed away overnight on December 19, 2021, at age 76," the Isakson Initiative posted on his Twitter account. "Sen. Isakson's family is grateful for the prayers and support. Funeral arrangements will be shared when finalized."
While no cause of death was given, Isakson had retired from the Senate in 2019 due to "health challenges," and had suffered from Parkinson's disease.
Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia issued a statement honoring Isakson's "model of public service is an example to future generations of leaders on how to stand on principle and make progress while also governing with compassion and a heart for compromise."
In his final speech on the Senate floor in 2019, Isakson noted his close friendship with Congressman John Lewis, a Democrat, and highlighted his personal slogan that there were two types of people: "friends and future friends."