Longtime New York Rep. Eliot Engel died Friday from complications of Parkinson\u2019s disease, his family confirmed. He was 79.<\/p>\n
The longstanding Democratic public servant passed away \u201cin the borough that raised him,\u201d in the Bronx on Friday, surrounded by his family and friends, according to an official statement from his family.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring his over 44 years in public service, Eliot Engel fought tirelessly for his constituents at home and for peace and security around the world,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
Throughout his 44 years of service, the long-serving liberal represented Westchester County and the north Bronx, before retiring in 2021.<\/p>\n
US Rep. Eliot Engel died Friday at age 79. Getty Images<\/p>\n
Engel was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 1988 and represented New York in Congress as a member of the House of Representatives for since 1989 for 16 terms until he lost a heated Democratic primary to Jamaal Bowman in 2020.<\/p>\n
Engel lost support from Democrats after he muttered into a microphone during a press conference in wake of George Floyd\u2019s murder that he didn\u2019t care about the looting<\/a> affecting his constituents.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I didn\u2019t have a primary, I wouldn\u2019t care,\u201d he told Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. when he asked the beep if he could make remarks and was told there were too many people on the list.<\/p>\n A staunch supporter of Israel, the devout Democrat also served as the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2019 to 2021.<\/p>\n Engel \u2014 who was criticized for fleeing his COVID-stricken New York district in 2020 in favor of Maryland \u2014 \u201cfought tirelessly for his constituents at home and for peace and security around the world,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n The veteran New York rep was perhaps most known for being an \u201caisle hog,\u201d where he would stake out the best seats in the House of Representatives, up to 12 hours in advance, to ensure he got his signature presidential photo-bomb during the State of the Union speeches and Congress addresses, ABC News<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n Engel was known as a \u2018seat hog,\u2019 trying to get the best position to shake the President\u2019s hands at the State of the Union. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images<\/p>\n Engel accidentally found himself an \u201caisle hog\u201d in 1989 as a freshman member when he was trying to connect with a more powerful lawmaker and found himself in an aisle seat before the speech \u2014 then, some two decades later, the former Congressman would wait 10 to 12 hours in advance to ensure he was in his prized spot.<\/p>\n The left-leaning seat-hog told ABC News in 2015 that he enjoys being among the action and experiencing the energy up close \u2014 but being in his famous spot also gave him a 100% chance of being part of the highly-televised presidential entrance and handshakes before and after the address.\u00a0<\/p>\n But in 2017, Engel broke his 29-year tradition when he decided not to save his coveted aisle position during President Trump\u2019s first address to Congress and did not shake the president\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n