Eliot Engel, a 16-term liberal Democrat from the Bronx, dies at 79

Engel, who became chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was first elected to the House in 1988, defeating Mario Biaggi, a 10-term incumbent, in the Democratic primary.

By Just the News staff

Published: April 10, 2026 8:41pm

Eliot Engel, a 16-term liberal Democrat from the Bronx in New York City, has died Friday at the age of 79.

Engel, who became chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was first elected to the House in 1988, defeating Mario Biaggi, a 10-term incumbent, in the Democratic primary, according to the New York Times. Biaggi had resigned his seat after being charged in a corruption scandal.

As the Times points out, Engel lost in the Democratic primary in 2020 to Jamaal Bowman, after Engel was stung criticism for what many of his constituents felt, namely that he had shunned New York during the Covid pandemic, staying mostly in Washington.

His family confirmed his death. He died in a hospital, and the cause of death was Parkinson's disease.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Ennis) Engel; a daughter, Julia; two sons, Jonathan and Philip; three grandchildren; and a sister, Dori Kaplan.