WASHINGTON (AP) – Arizona Sen. John McCain, the war hero who became the GOP’s standard-bearer in the 2008 election, has died. He was 81. His office says McCain died Saturday. He had battled brain cancer.

In 1967, his plane was shot down on a bombing mission over North Vietnam. He was severely injured and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and the Senate in 1986. A conservative on most issues, he pushed for campaign finance reform and the effort to account for those missing in Vietnam.

He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, then won it in 2008. But he and running mate Sarah Palin lost to Barack Obama.

North Dakota’s Congressional Delegation issued the following statements about John McCain following his death.

U.S. Senator John Hoeven said, “Mikey and I extend our heartfelt condolences to Cindy and the entire McCain family, and they remain in our prayers. John was a colleague, and he was also my friend. Few have demonstrated his level of commitment to this country, through his bravery in the armed forces and his long tenure in Congress. We join with his loved ones and the nation in mourning his passing and honoring his memory.”

N.D. Congressman Kevin Cramer said, “Kris and I are keeping Cindy and the entire McCain family in our prayers during this difficult time. Senator McCain was a true American hero, and I join many in remembering his selfless service to our country.”

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp said, “When I first arrived in the Senate, I knew well John’s reputation as a public servant with integrity, resolve, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. I got to see up close someone who dedicated his life to standing up for his fellow servicemembers and veterans. And as I developed a very close friendship throughout the years with his wife, Cindy, I also got to know him better and learn who he was beyond a public figure. We formed a bond working together to stand up for Indian Country through our work in the Senate. And I grew to know a man who prioritized above everything else his roles as husband, son, father, and grandfather. John provided them with an uncompromising love, and he instilled in them a wisdom borrowed from his own life of hard-fought battles, triumphs, and innumerable lives touched. I’ve valued each moment spent in the company of John and Cindy. To have seen them together was to witness love at its finest. My thoughts are with Cindy, Roberta, and John’s entire family as we remember the gift of his remarkable life and his commitment to the idea that strong character, when used to serve others, is the highest human pursuit. He will be sorely missed.”

N.D. Governor Doug Burgum said, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sen. John McCain, a true American hero, patriot and statesman. From his decorated military career to his highly principled service in the U.S. Senate, he was the embodiment of courage, honor and service to one’s country. Kathryn and I join a grateful nation in keeping his wife, Cindy, and the entire McCain family in our thoughts and prayers.”