Conservatives were left utterly horrified last week by the gruesome public assassination of high-profile activists Charlie Kirk.

However, Kirk wasn't the only member of the GOP to die in recent days, as former Illinois Republican Gov. Jim Edgar passed away as well. 

Former governor's death came following a battle with cancer

According to The Hill, Edgar died on Sunday at the age of 79 due to complications related to his treatment for pancreatic cancer.

"We are deeply grateful for the love, support and kindness so many have shown to Jim and our family over these last several months," a statement from the former governor's family read.

The Hill noted how tributes to Edgar quickly appeared on social media, including from Illinois's current Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who said that he and his wife were "deeply saddened to hear."

"Now more than ever, we should channel that spirit and resolve to live as Governor Edgar did: with honesty, integrity, and an enduring respect for all," Pritzker declared in a subsequent post.

Edgar praised by Democrats and Republicans

The governor added that Edgar "will live on in the incalculable number of lives he touched and in the stronger institutions he helped build."

Now more than ever, we should channel that spirit and resolve to live as Governor Edgar did: with honesty, integrity, and an enduring respect for all.

He will live on in the incalculable number of lives he touched and in the stronger institutions he helped build.

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) September 14, 2025

"By any standard, he was a Republican whose integrity guided his time in office and who managed one of the most successful periods in Illinois state government," Pritzker went on to state.

Bob Kustra served as lieutenant governor under Edgar, and The Hill noted how he too expressed sadness over the former governor's death.

Edgard went from rural Oklahoma to the Illinois governor's mansion

"By any standard, he was a Republican whose integrity guided his time in office and who managed one of the most successful periods in Illinois state government," Kustra declared.

Meanwhile, former Illinois Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn praised Edgar as "a good and decent man who cared deeply about the people of Illinois."

The Hill recalled how Edgar was born in rural Oklahoma and became Illinois's governor in 1990 before winning an additional term. He surprised political observers by announcing in 1997 that he would not run for a third time.