Why are flags flying at half-staff in Colorado on Sunday?

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on Sunday to honor a former Colorado senator who died last Tuesday.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a former senator and U.S. representative of Colorado, died at 92 from natural causes. He was known for his passionate advocacy of Native American issues and his defense of children’s rights, organized labor and fiscal conservatism.

He served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, starting in 1987. He then served two terms in the Senate, from 1993 to 2005.

Among his accomplishments was helping sponsor legislation to upgrade the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in southern Colorado to a national park.

“From being an Olympic athlete, to jewelry designer, horse trainer and then public servant at the state and federal level, Ben Nighthorse Campbell lived many different lives in his own unique way and always found a way to give back and serve,” Polis said in a statement. “He will be missed here in Colorado and across the country, and his contributions leave a lasting legacy to our state and nation.”

Campbell was the only Native American in the United States Senate when he served, and also served the United States with distinction in the US Air Force, Polis said.

Polis ordered flags to be lowered from sunrise to sunset on Sunday to honor Campbell.

Former US Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, of Colorado, dies at 92

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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