Former Ohio Congressman Steve LaTourette Dead at 62

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Former congressman and Cleveland Heights native, Steve LaTourette lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Wednesday, he was 62. LaTourette was diagnosed with the disease in 2014. A concert featuring Rascal Flatts to benefit cancer research was held in his honor on the first night of the Republican National Convention.

LaTourette started out as a public defender after law school and was elected Lake County prosecutor, serving from 1989 to 1995. He made a name for himself prosecuting the Kirtland cult killer, Jeffery Lundgren.

In 1994, LaTourette was elected to Congress, having enough name recognition to defeat incumbent Eric Fingerhut. He served Ohio's 19th district and later the 14th after his district was renumbered.

Known as a moderate, LaTourette aligned with traditional conservative fiscal issues but often took more liberal approaches to social issues. He was not afraid to go against the grain when it came to voting. In 2011, was the only Republican to vote NO on a bill introduced to remove funding from NPR.

Many of the tributes to LaTourette on Twitter are extolling the qualities he had such as civility, passion for education and a "wicked sense of humor."

LaTourette is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and six children: Sarah, Amy, Clare, Sam, Emerson and Henry.

Image by US House of Representatives ([1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons