Staff Report
Eliot Engel, the former Democratic congressman who represented Riverdale and other parts of the northern Bronx during his long political career, died April 10 at 79 years old.
Engel’s family announced his death in a statement, saying Engel died “surrounded by family and loved ones in the borough that raised him: The Bronx.”
“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 statement reads. “We love and miss him dearly.”
According to reporting by The Associated Press, Engel died of complications from Parkinson’s disease.
Over the course of his political service, Engel was chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Assembly member for New York’s 81st district. He also served as congressman for the 16th, 17th and 19th districts of New York, representing parts of the Bronx and southern Westchester County, amid changing redistricting maps.
Engel was born Feb. 18, 1947 in the Bronx. He held a bachelor’s degree in history from Lehman College and a law degree from New York Law School.
His political career began after working as a guidance counselor in New York’s public schools for several years, serving on the state assembly from 1977 to 1988. He first took office as congressman in 1989, serving 16 terms before losing the Democratic nomination in 2020 to Jamaal Bowman.
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