David Boren, Former Oklahoma Governor and U.S. Senator, Has Died — Inside His Cause of Death
The politician who made history as the youngest governor in U.S. history died at age 83.
Published Feb. 20 2025, 10:06 a.m. ET
Former Oklahoma Gov. and U.S. Senator David Boren has died. He was 83 years old. The news of the politician's death was confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
Throughout his life, David made history as the youngest governor to serve his state and continued making strides until his final days. Here's what to know about his cause of death.
What was David Boren's cause of death?
According to AP, David's cause of death was listed as complications of diabetes. The politician was an advocate for diabetes in the early 2000s and proposed a plan for Oklahoma to have a national diabetes center, per The Oklahoman.
David's longtime friend, Bob Burke, confirmed he died in his home near Newcastle, Okla. He lived and worked in the city for his entire life, following in his Democratic congressman father's footsteps. David became the state's governor in 1975 at age 33.
He continued thriving in politics by accepting a position in the U.S. Senate between 1979 and 1994. David also became the longest-serving chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. After multiple years in politics, he turned to academia as the president of the University of Oklahoma and was part of the university for 24 years. However, David stepped down from his position in 2018 after several male subordinates accused him of sexual harassment.
In his 2019 statement, he called the allegations "vicious" and "relentless" and denied any misconduct. David continued being active in politics until his health began to decline. He underwent heart bypass surgery in 2017 and suffered a minor stroke in 2018.
During his life, the politician was married twice, to the late Janna Little Robbins and then to Molly Shi Boren. He is survived by his two children, including Dan Boren, who also went into a political career and is a former Oklahoma congressman.
Dan released a statement celebrating his father's love for the people of Oklahoma and public service, stating he considered the latter a "noble calling and dedicated his life to it."