Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Dies at 75

Bill Richardson, the former Democratic governor of New Mexico and US ambassador to the United Nations, died Saturday at the age of 75, according to the Richardson Center for Global Engagement.

The center supposedly saying that Richardson died in his sleep at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts.

“He lived his entire life in the service of others, including his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people taken hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.” saying Mickey Bergman, vice president of the organization.

“There was no person Governor Richardson wouldn’t talk to if he had a promise to restore someone’s freedom. The world has lost an advocate for those wrongfully held abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend.”

Richardson was born in Pasadena, California, in 1947, the son of a bank executive father and a Mexican-born mother.

Last month, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his decades of work as a negotiator for international crises, a role he continued to play even while serving two terms as governor of New Mexico, from 2003 to 2011. Prior to his governorship , Richardson represented The State in Congress. He was also President Bill Clinton’s ambassador to the UN and, later, Secretary of Energy.

Most recently, Richardson worked to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was held captive in Russia for about 10 months until her release was announced in December.

Throughout his career, Richardson also helped win the release of Americans in Iraq, North KoreaSudan, Colombia and Bangladesh.

His Richardson Center, a non-profit organization, was created to promote international dialogue.

Although Richardson ran for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, he withdrew to endorse Barack Obama. A few years later, he was embroiled in allegations of violating campaign finance law by allegedly bribing a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair, but no charges were filed.