MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Vice President Walter Mondale, a liberal icon who lost the most lopsided presidential election after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, has died.
He was 93.
Mondale's family says he died Monday in Minneapolis.
“Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country’s history," former President Jimmy Carter wrote in a statement. "During our administration, Fritz used his political skill and personal integrity to transform the vice presidency into a dynamic, policy-driving force that had never been seen before and still exists today.”
Mondale served Minnesota as attorney general and U.S. senator.
He followed the trail blazed by his political mentor, Hubert H. Humphrey, to the vice presidency, serving under Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.
Mondale's own try for the White House, in 1984, came at the zenith of Ronald Reagan's popularity.
On Election Day, he carried only his home state and the District of Columbia.
According to The Associated Press, Mondale made history that year by choosing Geraldine Ferraro as the first female running mate on a major party ticket.
