Eugene McCarthy, the former United States Senator and a 1968 democratic presidential candidate, died today. McCarthy was a champion of civil rights and public education during his tenure in the Senate. In 1968, he became the first democrat to openly challenge Lyndon Johnson for the presidency. McCarthy broke with Johnson over the conflict in Vietnam. His bravery in challenging an incumbent president – in a year that later saw the assassinations of The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy – changed the political landscape. Johnson was forced from the race after McCarthy’s strong showing in New Hampshire.

In 1992, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the former senator during a visit he made to Portland. He was gracious with his time and with his stories of the senate and the 1968 campaign. He will long be remembered as a patriot.