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Posted: 2:48 PM- Utah's Republican Senators responded with messages of support and sympathy after the early morning death of their longtime colleague, former North Carolina Republican Sen. Jesse Helms.
"I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing today of a truly great Senator," Sen. Orrin Hatch wrote in a news release Friday, describing Helms as a man of great conviction and also a very close friend.
Helms, a staunch conservative, served in the Senate from 1973-2003.
"For all of his reputation as a fierce fighter for conservative causes, Jesse Helms had the highest regard for the rights of those with differing opinions and was one of the most courteous and respectful men I have ever known," Bennett conveyed through a spokeswoman Friday.
Helms died quietly at 1:15 a.m. in Raleigh, North Carolina.
