Bob Dole, who overcame severe World War II combat wounds to have a long political career that included a stint as Senate Majority Leader, died at the age of 98.

Bob Dole, a former Republican senator and US Presidential contender, died at the age of 98.

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation announced his death on Sunday afternoon.

“It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years,” the organisation said in a statement.

Earlier this year Dole had said that he was receiving treatment for lung cancer.

He had overcame grievous World War Two combat wounds to become a pre-eminent figure in U.S. politics as a long-time Republican senator from Kansas and his party’s unsuccessful 1996 presidential nominee.

Dole, known for a wit that ranged from self-deprecating to caustic, died in his sleep, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation said.

Dole sought the presidency three times and was the Republican Party’s nominee in 1996 but lost to Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton.

He was his party’s vice presidential nominee in 1976 on a ticket headed by incumbent President Gerald Ford but they lost to Democrat Jimmy Carter and his running mate Walter Mondale.

Dole, known for referring to himself in the third person, made a classic American journey from the poverty of the Great Depression of the 1930s, through World War Two battlefields to the corridors of power with a stoic Midwestern dignity.

He found a new kind of fame when he was depicted in the Simpsons.

In one episode Dole tried to replace Springfield’s local congressman, Horace Willcox when he died, but Krusty the Clown got the job instead.

In real life, Dole represented Kansas in Congress for 35 years: 1961 to 1969 in the House of Representatives and 1969 to 1996 in the Senate.

He helped shepherd Republican President Ronald Reagan’s legislative agenda as Senate majority leader in the 1980s and spearheaded important legislation of his own.

Dole, who lost the use of his right arm from a war wound, was an advocate for the disabled and worked to shore up the finances of the Social Security retirement program.

He was instrumental in passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, public accommodations and transportation.

He also was a key figure behind building a memorial honouring Americans who served in World War Two on Washington’s National Mall, now a popular tourist stop.

The closest Dole came to presidential power was in 1997.

Clinton defeated him, capturing 49 percent of the popular vote to Dole’s 41 percent and third-party challenger Ross Perot’s 8 percent.

Dole won 19 of the 50 states, losing the state-by-state Electoral College by a 379-159 count.

Clinton in 1997 awarded Dole the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

He was Senate majority leader from 1985 to 1987 and then again from 1995 to 1996, and was Senate minority leader from 1987 to 1995.

Image Credit: Getty

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