Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who represented the Nutmeg State in Washington for 24 years and was the Democratic Party’s 2000 vice presidential nominee, has died. He was 82.

A statement sent to former staffers said Lieberman had suffered complications from a fall, according to Punchbowl News.

Lieberman, a former Connecticut state senator and attorney general, was elected to the Senate in 1988 and developed a reputation as a prominent voice on foreign policy and a staunch supporter of Israel.

After the narrow defeat of the Gore-Lieberman ticket in 2000, the senator sought the Democratic nomination in 2004 but dropped out following a series of disappointing primary finishes.

Two years later, facing backlash over his support of the Iraq War, Lieberman lost his Senate primary to future Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, but won re-election as a third party candidate under the Connecticut for Lieberman banner. 

To date, Lieberman’s 2006 victory is the last time a third-party candidate has won a Senate seat.

Upon his return to Washington, Lieberman described himself as an “Independent Democrat” and endorsed his longtime friend, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president in 2008 — even speaking on his behalf at that year’s Republican National Convention.

In the face of polls showing him to be increasingly unpopular in Connecticut, Lieberman opted against seeking a fifth term and retired from the Senate in January 2013.