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Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson died in his sleep at his summer home in Massachusetts on Friday (September 1) night. He was 75.
"Governor Richardson passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. He lived his entire life in the service of others — including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. There was no person that Governor Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a person to freedom. The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad, and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend," said Richardson Center for Global Engagement Vice President Mickey Bergman.
"The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad, and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend."
Richardson was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1983. During the Clinton administration, Richardson served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary. He was elected governor of New Mexico in 2002 and served two terms before leaving office in 2011.
After leaving politics, Richardson devoted himself to helping Americans detained abroad. Most recently, he traveled to Moscow, where he met with Russian officials to discuss the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
"On behalf of the countless families that Governor Richardson and his Center have helped, I wanted to express our profound feeling of loss at his passing," Neda Sharghi, chair of the Bring Our Families Home Campaign, said in a statement. "Governor Richardson has been a fierce advocate for human rights and the effort to bring home people unjustly held overseas."