Jim Kolbe Cause of Death: Former Republican Congressman Dies at 80!

By Saumya On Dec 6, 2022

On Saturday, December 3, a former Republican congressman who represented the state’s fifth congressional district for more than 20 years died. Do you know that Kolbe beat the Democrat who ran against him for the Senate seat in Arizona in 1976? He had three terms in that body.

It was shocking news for the all party members that their friend leave them too earlier. Kolbe, a well-known advocate for LGBT rights and one of Arizona’s greatest leaders, had a stroke on Saturday at the age of 80.

In this article, we will discuss what was the cause of Kolbe’s death and also give you a glance at his career and early life. To get all the details, read this article. Also, if you found this article helpful, kindly share your thoughts. Your opinions are very valuable to us.

Jim Kolbe Cause of Death: How Did He Die?

Longtime Republican congressman Jim Kolbe, who came out as gay in 1996 and was repeatedly reelected afterward, passed away on Saturday at the age of 80.

The Arizona Daily Star claims that a stroke was the cause of death. Kolbe served in the US House for 11 terms, representing a district that included Tucson. He made the decision not to run again in 2006 after being initially elected in 1984.

So incredibly saddened by the passing of Jim Kolbe, one of AZ’s great leaders. A former member of Congress who loved southern AZ, Jim was a friend and a co-chair of my campaign. Jim always put his country first and I am so grateful for him. He will be deeply missed. 💔 pic.twitter.com/mtfxT8OWpD

— Kris Mayes (@krismayes) December 3, 2022

Well, he was suffering from a basic illness for several years. but the store was sudden and that took our beloved Jim Kolbe from us. His family member and friend did not give specific information about his death. As of now, we know that he died due to a stroke and if we get any further information about Jim Kolbe Cause of Death we will update you in this article.

Who Is Jim Kolbe?

James Thomas Kolbe was born on June 28, 1942, in Evanston, Illinois. He was raised in Santa Cruz after his family moved there when he was five years old. Jim completed his undergraduate studies at Northwestern University in Arizona before receiving his diploma from the United States Capitol Page School in 1960. He was a member of the Acacia fraternity there. He served in the American Navy before.

Kolbe began his political career as a page for U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater. Kolbe was raised on a guest ranch his parents maintained in Patagonia in rural Santa Cruz County. He was chosen to the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 1984 and served for 11 terms.

Take A Look At His Political Career!

Kolbe ran for the Arizona Senate in 1976 in a district near Tucson. He beat a Democrat who had only been in office for one term and had been elected during the national Democratic wave of 1974.

In 1992, he and his wife broke up. He went to Catalina United Methodist Church. Kolbe quit the state Senate in the middle of 1982 to run for the newly made 5th congressional district. Kolbe introduced the Legal Tender Modernization Act in 2001. If it had passed, it would have stopped making the one-cent piece.

Randy Graf, who was the leader of the majority in the State House, ran against Kolbe for the Republican nomination in 2004. Kolbe left the Republican Party in 2018. He said that Democrat Joe Biden should be elected president in 2020.

From 1977 to 1992, Kolbe was married to Sarah Dinham, who taught educational psychology at the University of Arizona. Kolbe was on the Executive Advisory Board for TuSimple, a company that makes self-driving trucks.

He worked with nine other former members of Congress to write an editorial in 2021 that called for changes in Congress. From 1977 to 1992, Kolbe was married to Sarah Dinham, who taught educational psychology at the University of Arizona.

Was Jim Kolbe Really a Gay?

After Kolbe voted for the Defence of Marriage Act, gay rights groups tried to find out who he was. In August 1996, he came out as gay. He was the first openly gay Republican to speak at the Republican National Convention in 2000 and the second openly gay Republican to serve in Congress.

After leaving the Republican Party in 2018, Kolbe voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020, even though he was a Democrat. Kolbe was married to Sarah Dinham, a professor at the University of Arizona, from 1977 until 1992. He got married to Hector Alfonso in 2013.