Jay Rockefeller, former West Virginia governor and senator, dies at 89

Jay Rockefeller, who served as West Virginia's governor and longtime U.S. senator, died at age 89, PBS NewsHour reported.

Rockefeller was the last member of his family's political dynasty and the only Democrat among them, according to CBS News.

Born John D. Rockefeller IV, he came from one of the nation's richest families but dedicated about 50 years to public service in one of the poorest states, PBS NewsHour noted.

He moved to West Virginia in 1964 to work in an anti-poverty program and was elected governor about a dozen years later, serving two terms before spending 30 years in the U.S. Senate, CBS News reported.

Rockefeller broke from his family's Republican tradition by becoming a Democrat and was first elected to the state House of Delegates in 1966, PBS NewsHour said.

He retired from the Senate in 2015, describing his career as rewarding, CBS News added.