Former Sen. Jesse Helms Dies at 86

By Michael Y. Park

Friday July 04, 2008 12:45 PM EDT

Sen. Jesse Helms in Washington, D.C.

Chuck Kennedy/MCT /Landov

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Jesse Helms, the controversial conservative former U.S. senator from North Carolina, died today of natural causes. He was 86.

The strict conservative was a powerful force in the Republican party, paving the way for Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 and earning the nickname "Senator No" for frequently blocking Democratic legislation. His political stances frequently provoked heated debate, including his advocacy for the tobacco industry, working against making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday, and stopping U.S. payments to the United Nations.

Helms was elected five times to the U.S. Senate before retiring in 2003 because of health problems.