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'''Robert Carlyle Byrd''' (November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was a Moderately conservative [[Democrat Party|Democrat]] Senator and a former but repentant [[Exalted Cyclops]] of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] from [[West Virginia]]. He was the oldest member of [[Congress]] at his death at age 92, [[President pro tempore]] of the US Senate, and was the longest-serving [[Senator]] in history, having been first elected in 1958.  

'''Robert Carlyle Byrd''' (November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was a [[Democrat Party|Democrat]] Senator and [[Exalted Cyclops]] of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] from [[West Virginia]]. He was the oldest member of [[Congress]] at his death at age 92, [[President pro tempore]] of the US Senate, and was the longest-serving [[Senator]] in history, having been first elected in 1958.  

Byrd twice held the position of Senate Democrat Leader, was a crucial 60th vote in holding a filibuster-proof Senate in 2009, is the only senator to have cast over 18,000 votes,<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/robert_byrd/300016 Sen. Robert Byrd]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref> never once lost a general election<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=246 Byrd, Robert C.]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref> and remained a Democrat Party legend and icon until the end. He was third in line to the [[President of the United States|Presidency]] behind [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Joe Biden]] and [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]].

Byrd twice held the position of Senate Democrat Leader, was a crucial 60th vote in holding a filibuster-proof Senate in 2009, is the only senator to have cast over 18,000 votes,<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/robert_byrd/300016 Sen. Robert Byrd]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref> never once lost a general election<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=246 Byrd, Robert C.]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref> and remained a Democrat Party legend and icon until the end. He was third in line to the [[President of the United States|Presidency]] behind [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Joe Biden]] and [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]].

==Democratic leadership==

==Democratic leadership==

[[File:Biden with the Exalted Cyclops.PNG|thumb|right|350px|Byrd with [[Joe Biden]], [[Joe Manchin]], and [[Jay Rockefeller]].]]

[[File:Biden with the Exalted Cyclops.PNG|thumb|right|350px|Byrd with [[Joe Biden]], [[Joe Manchin]], and [[Jay Rockefeller]].]]

Campaigning as a [[New Deal]]er,<ref>Clymer, Adam (June 28, 2010). [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/politics/29byrd.html Robert C. Byrd, a Pillar of the Senate, Dies at 92]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref><ref>Longley, Robert (October 30, 2019). [https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-byrd-kkk-4147055 Senator Robert Byrd and the Ku Klux Klan ]. ''ThoughtCo''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref> Byrd was elected as a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1952 for the 6th district of West Virginia, succeeding E.H. Hedrick, who had decided to step down to run for Governor of [[West Virginia]]. Byrd was reelected to the House twice. In 1958, he was elected to the [[United States Senate]], defeating the [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] incumbent W. Chapman Revercomb. He has been reelected eight times. For his first four terms, Byrd was West Virginia's junior senator. This was because his colleague from 1959 to 1985, [[Jennings Randolph]], had been elected on the same day in a special election to fill the seat of the late Senator Matthew Neely.  

Campaigning as a [[New Deal]]er,<ref>Clymer, Adam (June 28, 2010). [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/politics/29byrd.html Robert C. Byrd, a Pillar of the Senate, Dies at 92]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref><ref>Longley, Robert (October 30, 2019). [https://www.thoughtco.com/robert-byrd-kkk-4147055 Senator Robert Byrd and the Ku Klux Klan ]. ''ThoughtCo''. Retrieved April 19, 2021.</ref> Byrd was elected as a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1952 for the 6th district of West Virginia, succeeding E.H. Hedrick, who had decided to step down to run for Governor of [[West Virginia]]. Byrd was reelected to the House twice. In 1958, he was elected to the [[United States Senate]], defeating the [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] incumbent W. Chapman Revercomb. He has been reelected eight times. For his first four terms, Byrd was West Virginia's junior senator. This was because his colleague from 1959 to 1985, [[Jennings Randolph]], had been elected on the same day in a special election to fill the seat of the late Senator Matthew Neely.

While Byrd faced vigorous Republican opposition in the past, he had not faced truly serious opposition since freshman congressman Cleve Benedict ran against him in 1982. He had since won by comfortable margins. Despite his tremendous popularity in the state, he had only run unopposed once, in 1976. On two other occasions — in 1994 and 2000 — he carried all 55 of West Virginia's counties. In his reelection bid in 2000, he won all but seven of West Virginia's precincts. [[Shelley Moore Capito]], a Congresswoman and the daughter of one of Byrd's longtime foes—former Governor [[Arch Moore]]—briefly weighed a challenge to Byrd in 2006, but decided against it.

While Byrd faced vigorous Republican opposition in the past, he had not faced truly serious opposition since freshman congressman Cleve Benedict ran against him in 1982. He had since won by comfortable margins. Despite his tremendous popularity in the state, he had only run unopposed once, in 1976. On two other occasions — in 1994 and 2000 — he carried all 55 of West Virginia's counties. In his reelection bid in 2000, he won all but seven of West Virginia's precincts. [[Shelley Moore Capito]], a Congresswoman and the daughter of one of Byrd's longtime foes—former Governor [[Arch Moore]]—briefly weighed a challenge to Byrd in 2006, but decided against it.

In the 1960 Presidential election primaries, Byrd, a close Senate ally of former [[white supremacist]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], tried and failed to derail the Democrat front-runner and ultimately successful candidate [[John F. Kennedy]] in the crucial West Virginia [[primary election|primary]].

In the 1960 Presidential election primaries, Byrd, a close Senate ally of [[white supremacist]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], tried and failed to derail the Democrat front-runner and ultimately successful candidate [[John F. Kennedy]] in the crucial West Virginia [[primary election|primary]].

===1964 Civil Rights Act filibuster===

===1964 Civil Rights Act filibuster===