Former Senator Jim Exon

Former Nebraska governor and US Senator, James Exon died on Friday. He was certainly a skillful politician. Consider that as a Democrat in a very red state he won:

• Two terms as governor
• Three terms in the US Senate
• For a total of five consecutive victories in statewide elections
  

That's an impressive run no matter how you slice it. During this time he rebuilt the Nebraska Democratic Party into a formidable organization.

Lincoln Journal Star: "A political giant remembered --BY DON WALTON
Jim Exon, a towering figure in Nebraska's political history, died Friday night at the age of 83.

Exon served as governor or U.S. senator for 26 years, won five statewide elections from 1970 to 1990 and built Nebraska's modern Democratic Party into a dominant force during his years in power.A spokesperson for Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital said Exon's family approved a statement that said the former senator died of natural causes. Exon died at 8:20 p.m. at Madonna, Lori Paulsen said.

During the Exon era, Democrats won most of the political prizes in Nebraska, piling up victory after victory in gubernatorial and Senate elections."

Reactions and remembrances.

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