Former Rep. Sam Gibbons, Florida Democrat, Dies at 92

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story improperly identified former Rep. Gibbons's party affiliation. He was a Democrat.

Sam Gibbons, a former Democratic representative from Florida who never lost an election, has died at the age of 92, the Associated Press reported. 

Gibbons died peacefully late on Tuesday night or early on Wednesday morning at a Tampa retirement home, according to his son, Tim, The AP reported. 

Gibbons was elected in 1962, and served 17 terms in Congress. He rose to head the House Ways and Means Committee from 1994 until 1995, and retired from Congress in 1997.

The Tampa Bay Times called Gibbons a “true American hero” on Wednesday, pointing to his "pivotal" role in the creation of the University of South Florida. 

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