The Hill News

Former Oregon governor and Sen. Mark Hatfield (R) has died at the age of 89.

A vocal opponent of the Vietnam War, he was one of the first Republicans to speak out against the conflict.

After 8 years as governor, Hatfield won election to the Senate in 1966.  He would go on to serve for 30 years.  Hatfield was chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for six years.

Hatfield had lived in Oregon since retiring from the Senate in 1996 the Oregonian reported.

In a statement, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) praised the former senator. "We've lost a true statesman whose legacy lives on," wrote Kitzhaber.