Former Sen. Tim Johnson, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota, has died at age 77

SIOUX FALLS, SD (AP) — Former Sen. Tim Johnson, a centrist politician who was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota and who was adept at securing federal funding for projects back home during his nearly three decades in Washington , has died . He was 77.

Johnson, who was first elected to Congress in 1986 and left the Senate in 2015, died Tuesday evening from complications of a recent stroke, family friend Steve Hildebrand said in a news release. He was surrounded by his family.

“Tim always joked that neither the left nor the right had a monopoly on all good ideas, but that together we could find common ground for the good of our country,” Johnson's family said in the press release. “In his work and his life, Tim has shown us that we must never give up.”

This resilience was put to the test in 2006. Just a month after Democrats retook the Senate by one vote, Johnson became disoriented during a media conference and underwent emergency brain surgery. He had suffered a life-threatening brain hemorrhage, sparking what many called unseemly rounds of speculation in Washington about which party would control the next Senate.

But nine months later he returned to Washington, physically weaker but mentally fit. He later joked as he opened his first post-surgery media conference by saying, “Like I said…”

A fourth-generation South Dakota native, Johnson was known for his steady demeanor, unpredictable voting record and his ability to secure federal funding for his state, including money that helped fund the University of South Dakota Medical Sciences Complex.

Democrats could never take his votes for granted. Johnson defied his party by supporting bans on abortion in later pregnancies and the desecration of flags. He also voted to confirm U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, nominated by Republican President George W. Bush.

And in one of the defining moments of his career, Johnson voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq in 2002, even though he had a deeply personal reason for opposing it. His son, Brooks, was a 32-year-old staff sergeant in the Army's 101st Airborne Division and was among the first sent to the region.

“I spoke to Brooks before this vote and his response was, 'Dad, you do what's right for the country and I'll do what's right as a soldier,'” Johnson recalled. “I said in the Senate that it was very likely that I would send my own son to fight.”

Brooks, who also served in Bosnia, Kosovo and South Korea, returned safely after serving in the Middle East.

Drey Samuelson, who was Johnson's chief of staff in Congress for 28 years, said Johnson appealed to Republicans and Democrats alike because he worked hard and was willing to listen to both sides.

“He never saw himself as a Democratic member of Congress from South Dakota,” Samuelson said. “He saw himself as a congressman or senator from South Dakota, independent of the popular party.”

The former senator joked about his reputation for being reserved.

“I know I get a reputation for being such a grumpy Scandinavian, but I think we Scandinavians also have a sense of humor,” Johnson told The Associated Press in 2002. “I enjoy life. I think there are many things in life that are fun and that we can joke about. It would be a sad life for anyone who cannot laugh or laugh at themselves.”

In December 2006, Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by a congenital malformation. His illness raised the possibility that if the Republican governor of South Dakota became incapacitated, he would appoint a Republican successor and bring the Senate, then controlled 51-49 by Democrats, back under Republican control.

Johnson returned to his Senate office on a scooter in September 2007, speaking slowly and slurred. Cameras crowded as he scurried through the door alongside Republican South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. The employees cheered as he entered the office.

He continued to recover and won re-election. But in 2013, as South Dakota turned significantly Republican, he announced he was retiring.

At the time, he said that over his 28 years in the House and Senate, finding bipartisan compromise had become increasingly difficult as elections won overshadowed everything else.

“We have lost the way,” lamented Johnson in his farewell address on December 11, 2014.

Born in Canton, South Dakota, Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota, where he also met his wife, Barbara Brooks of Sioux Falls. Johnson then earned a master's degree in public administration and a law degree from the university.

Johnson opened a law practice in Vermillion in 1975 and ran for statewide office in 1978. He served four years in the South Dakota House of Representatives and another four years in the state Senate before setting his sights on Washington.

He was elected to South Dakota's only U.S. House seat in 1986 and served five terms before moving to the U.S. Senate in 1996.

Johnson was re-elected to the Senate in 2002, narrowly defeating Thune, then a congressman, by just over 500 votes.

“Tim was known for his tenacity and work ethic and was a steadfast leader who dedicated his life to serving the people of South Dakota with integrity and compassion,” Thune said in a statement. “He fought tirelessly for rural America and leaves a legacy that will have a lasting impact for years to come.”

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Johnson.

The Johnsons had two sons and a daughter: Brooks, Brendan, a lawyer from Sioux Falls, and Kelsey, who works in public service in Washington.

Johnson and his wife battled cancer. The former senator was treated for prostate cancer in 2004 and Barb Johnson survived breast cancer.