Nancy Kassebaum Baker, trailblazing GOP senator who broke barriers for women in Congress, dead at 94

Former Republican Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker of Kansas died Friday at 94, remembered for her independent political stance and as the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without a prior congressional spouse. She served three terms, retiring in 1997, and was known for her moderate Republicanism and ability to work across the aisle, notably co-authoring a 1996 health insurance law with Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. Later in life, she increasingly diverged from the Republican Party’s direction, endorsing Democrats and calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment.

• Former Republican Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker of Kansas died at 94.
• She was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without having a husband who previously served in Congress.
• Kassebaum Baker served three terms in the Senate, from 1978 to 1997.
• She was known as an independent-minded, moderate Republican willing to break with her party.
• A landmark 1996 health insurance law bore her name alongside Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy.
• She supported an assault weapons ban and later endorsed Democrats, breaking with the Republican Party’s direction.
• She married former Republican Sen. Howard Baker in 1996, the first marriage between two former senators.
• She maintained a strong connection to Kansas throughout her career.