Richard Hanna, who represented Broome and several other counties in Congress for six years, has died.

According to syracuse.com, the 69-year-old Hanna died Sunday in Oneida County after battling cancer.

Hanna was first elected to Congress in 2010. In late 2015, he announced he would not seek a fourth term the following year. He said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and their young children.

Hanna occasionally gained national attention for taking positions on key issues like same-sex marriage and abortion rights at odds with most of his Republican colleagues.

Hanna endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

Representative Anthony Brindisi, a Democrat who now represents the 22nd Congressional District, issued a statement saying he was "deeply saddened" of Hanna's death.

Brindisi described Hanna as "personal friend and professional mentor." He said Hanna "put people before politics."

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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