Longtime Idaho lawmaker Sen. Mark Nye dies after illness

POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — Longtime Idaho lawmaker Sen. Mark Nye has died. He was 76.

Nye, a Democrat from Pocatello, died at a hospital on Saturday after an extended illness.

Nye was elected to the Idaho House in 2014, and two years later was elected to the state Senate, where he served three terms. He announced earlier this year that he would not run for re-election.

Democratic Rep. James Ruchti, also of Pocatello, said in a news release on Thursday Nye was a loved and essential part of the community. He lauded Nye's work as an attorney and support for Idaho State University, and said Nye's death was difficult to process.

“I think the thing I most respected about Mark was that he was kind to people,” Ruchti said. “From the janitor to the CEO, he treated people with respect.”

Nye graduated from Harvard University and earned a law degree at the University of Idaho College of Law. He was a past president of the Idaho State Bar.