Manuel Lujn Jr, who spent 20 years as a Republican congressman and later as a US Interior Secretary who drew fire from environmentalists for challenging the Endangered Species Act, has died. He was 90.
New Mexico Gov Michelle Lujn Grisham, who was a distant cousin, said Lujan died Thursday at his home in Albuquerque.
He had a long history of heart trouble and underwent triple-bypass surgery after a 1986 heart attack.
"Manuel Lujn was the picture of a statesman," the Democratic governor said in a statement Friday.
"Over the course of ten Congressional terms and four years as secretary of the Interior, he fought for his constituents, striving for balance between competing interests."
"Nobody's told me the difference between a red squirrel, a black one or a brown one."