Former Congressman Barney Frank dead at 86

Former Congressman Barney Frank dies at 86

Barney Frank, a Democratic congressman who represented Massachusetts, has died at the age of 86. 

Former Congressman Barney Frank who served in the House of Representatives from Massachusetts as a Democrat from 1981 to 2013, has died. 

Jim Segel, Frank’s former campaign manager and close friend, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. His family also confirmed his death to another outlet Wednesday. 

He was 86 years old.

Congressman Frank's career

Timeline:

Frank was born on  March 31, 1940, in Bayonne, New Jersey and graduated from Bayonne High School. He then attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School. 

Frank got his start in politics working as a political aide before winning election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1972. In 1980, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 52 percent of the vote.

Frank was a liberal stalwart who fought to legalize same-sex marriage and helped pass Dodd-Frank, the Wall Street regulations, after the 2008 financial crash.

FILE - Barney Frank speaks during PFLAG National's Love Takes Justice event at AFT Headquarters on November 18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Paul Morigi/ Getty Images for PFLAG)

In 1987, at the age of 47, Frank came out as gay, the first member of Congress to voluntarily do so. In 2012, Frank married Jim Ready, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to enter into a same-sex marriage.  

Frank retired from Congress in 2013 and at the time of his death was residing in Maine.

He entered hospice there in April with congestive heart failure. 

What they're saying:

In an interview with The Associated Press as he entered hospice, Frank said he hoped he would be remembered for advocating a brand of politics that embraced progressive ideals without forcing them on voters prematurely.