Oklahoma Democrats mourn Fred Harris, former US senator and presidential candidate

Associated Press/Report for America

Fred Harris, a former Democratic U.S. senator from Oklahoma, is being remembered by party members for his commitment to social and economic justice. Harris died Saturday at age 94. He served in Congress for eight years before mounting an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. The Oklahoma Democratic Party commemorated his work in the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate civil unrest. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968. The former senator appeared at the Democratic National Convention earlier this year where he spoke to the Oklahoma delegation about progress and unity.