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Former Vice President Dick Cheney died Monday at the age of 84 due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, according to a statement from his family.
Cheney started in politics in 1969 as an intern with Wisconsin Congressman William A. Setiger. He worked in the Nixon, Ford and H.W. Bush administrations before being selected as Pres. George W. Bush’s running mate in 2000. He served as vice president for eight years. Cheney also represented Wyoming as the sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1989.
He later served as an advisor to his daughter, former Wyoming U.S. Representative Liz Cheney.
Cheney was "a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing," according to a statement released by his family and reported by NPR.
He is survived by his wife, Lynne, daughters Liz and Mary and his grandchildren.
Remembrances and legacy
Political leaders and groups in Wyoming are noting mixed legacies in the wake of Cheney’s passing.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis wrote on X, “Dick Cheney’s life was one of service to his state and nation, as U.S. Vice President, U.S. Secretary of Defense, White House Chief of Staff and Wyoming Congressman. For more than 10 years, he worked alongside Senators Malcolm Wallop and Al Simpson as the most formidable Congressional delegation in Washington. As the first Wyoming citizen to be elected Vice President, he holds a defining place in our state’s history.”
Sen. John Barrasso posted on X, “From high school football star to White House Chief of Staff, Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President, Dick’s career has few peers in American life. His unflinching leadership shaped many of the biggest moments in domestic and U.S. foreign policy for decades. Dick will be remembered as a towering figure who helped guide the course of history in Wyoming, the United States, and around the world.”
Rep. Harriet Hageman wrote in an emailed statement, “You couldn’t grow up in Wyoming and not know who Dick Cheney was. He dedicated most of his life to serving his country, working across multiple administrations and finally capping his public career as an extremely consequential vice president. He was known as a meticulous, detail-oriented planner who prioritized his family. Dick Cheney had an undeniable impact on American policy, both foreign and domestic, for decades, and will be studied and remembered for many years more than that.”
“Wyoming has lost one of its own,” said Gov. Mark Gordon in a statement. “Former Vice President Dick Cheney served our nation with an unwavering sense of duty shaped by the grit and resolve of this state. Dick carried Wyoming values with him, his steadfast commitment, quiet strength, and a fierce belief in America. Jennie and I extend our deepest condolences to Lynne, Liz, Mary, and the entire Cheney family. May he rest in peace.”
Gordon has ordered all flags to be lowered to half staff until the day after Cheney’s interment.
The Libertarian Party of Wyoming, while calling Cheney a “prominent figure in Wyoming,” highlighted Cheney's role in the wars that followed 9/11.
“He had a successful career working towards unjustified wars and the expansion of the power of the executive branch way beyond the scope of the constitution. Dick Cheney helped lie about weapons of mass destruction that ended up killing thousands of American troops and countless civilians of foreign countries. Dick Cheney profited from war, and lied to make more war. He and his team spent countless hours trying to manipulate the constitution to give them more power and more money. That being said, the Libertarian Party wishes the Cheney family comfort as they mourn the death of a man that meant more to them than he did to us. God bless the thousands of men and women who died to make Halliburton money,” the group posted on Facebook.
Wyoming Majority Floor Leader Sen. Tara Nethercott (R-Cheyenne) also memorialized former Wyoming Secretary of State Kathy Karpan, who died Oct. 24 at the age of 83, in her statement.
“Cheney’s decades of service – from Congress to the Pentagon to the Vice Presidency – left an indelible mark on our state and nation. Karpan, a coal-miner’s daughter who rose to become Wyoming’s Secretary of State, embodied public service. I extend my condolences to both their families, and offer thanks for their contributions. May their legacies inspire us to serve Wyoming with the same commitment and courage,” she wrote on Facebook.
