Former Vice President Walter Mondale, a close adviser to President Jimmy Carter and a presidential nominee, died Monday. He was 93.
“Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country’s history,” said former President Jimmy Carter in a statement Monday night.
Mondale, Carter’s vice president, was credited with making the office more relevant. He served as Carter’s vice president from 1977 to 1981. He also served as a U.S. senator from Minnesota.
“During our administration, Fritz used his political skill and personal integrity to transform the vice presidency into a dynamic, policy-driving force that had never been seen before and still exists today,” said Carter, who called him an “invaluable partner.”
He ran as the Democratic nominee against Ronald Reagan in 1984. He lost that race in one of the most lopsided electoral victories in modern American politics, winning only his home state of Minnesota. He later served as ambassador to Japan in the 1990s.
His wife of 58 years, Joan, died in 2014 at age 83 after a long illness. Mondale also successfully underwent heart surgery in 2014.
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
