Former New Mexico Democrat Governor Bill Richardson died late this week. He was 75 years old.

Richardson, who was a U.N. Ambassador during the Clinton administration, also ran for president in 2008 and spent 14 years representing New Mexico’s 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mickey Bergman, Vice President of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, said in a statement that Richardson died in his sleep on Friday night at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

“He lived his entire life in the service of others–including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” said Bergman. “There was no person that Governor Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a person to freedom.”

“The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend,” he added.

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Jeffrey Epstein of sex trafficking her, said in a sworn deposition in 2016 that Epstein directed her to have sex with Richardson while he was governor. Epstein owned a massive 8,000-acre ranch in the state.

Richardson was never charged with a crime and a spokesperson for Richardson said at the time that the allegations were “completely false.”

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U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who previously represented the same U.S. House seat as Richardson, praised him in a statement.

“Governor Richardson was a giant in public service and government — serving as a member of Congress, United Nations Ambassador, Cabinet Secretary, and governor,” Luján said. “In his post-government career, he was trusted to handle some of the most sensitive diplomatic crises, and he did so with great success. Here in New Mexico, we will always remember him as our governor. He never stopped fighting for the state he called home.”

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said Richardson was “a visionary who saw the potential of our great state before so many others did.”

“He saw us taking on Hollywood and reaching for the stars, launching both the film and space industries that continue to reap significant economic benefits today,” she said. “His reputation preceded him around the globe: Bill Richardson is someone who gets things done.”

“For my own part, Bill was a mentor and advisor who was instrumental in my own journey into elected office,” she continued. “He was a steadfast friend who celebrated my successes, and someone I could turn to in those moments when leading is particularly challenging.”

President Joe Biden has asked the Democratic National Committee to give $1.2 million to Virginia Democrats ahead of state elections in the commonwealth and in the face of record fundraising from Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.

The request from Biden comes as a Youngkin political action committee raised $5.9 million by the end of June, a new record for a Virginia governor, according to The Washington Post. The November elections could prove pivotal as Republicans currently control the state House of Delegates and Democrats control the state Senate.

Dave Rexrode, the head of Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC, responded to the news, saying that it showed the “far left in Virginia is in full panic mode.”

“They are desperate, with no vision for the Commonwealth; only far left Virginia Democrats would look to D.C. and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for help,” he told the Post. “Virginians are with Gov. Youngkin, they support his commonsense agenda that’s providing tax relief, empowering parents, and strengthening public safety.”

Republican pickups in the Senate and House could allow Youngkin to pass more conservative-backed initiatives in a state that had trended blue until Youngkin’s surprise win in 2021.

DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison said the money was just part of Biden’s policy to support Democrats throughout the U.S.

“Time and time again, President Biden has made it abundantly clear that he is committed to not just electing Democrats at the top of the ticket, but down the entire ballot, and this investment is further proof,” Harrison said. “We are proud to make these unprecedented investments in Virginia and across the country that will not only help Democrats win in 2023, but will build on and expand the infrastructure we need to reelect President Biden and Vice President Harris next year.”

The money was in part allocated after Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine asked Biden for help in the commonwealth as Youngkin’s popularity remains high.

“The Democratic National Committee’s significant investment in Virginia underscores that the stakes could not be higher this November,” Kaine told the Post. “If Republicans win control of the General Assembly, they’ve pledged to restrict voting rights, pass an abortion ban, and roll back gun safety measures.”

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Youngkin’s second quarter fundraising raised eyebrows with Republicans hoping to flip the Senate. Without the Senate, Youngkin’s administration has moved forward with a number of conservative moves at the executive level, including promoting education reforms and increased parental knowledge of what is happening in Virginia schools.

“When Governor Youngkin says he’s focused on Virginia, he means it. The Governor has built and scaled an unprecedented campaign to hold the House and flip the Senate,” Rexrode said.