Setti Warren, the trailblazing politician who served as mayor of Newton, Massachusetts for eight years, has died at 55 years old. Incumbent Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced the news on Sunday, saying that Warren died in his home over the weekend. Warren’s cause of death, however, has not been revealed.

Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein and Harvard College Dean David Deming also expressed their grief over the loss of Warren, who was serving as Harvard’s director of the Institute of Politics.

“Setti was a beloved member of our community, and we are devastated by this heartbreaking news,” Weinstein and Deming said in a statement, according to MassLive.

What were some of Setti Warren’s notable accomplishments?

Warren became mayor in 2009 and made history as the Black American to be elected as mayor in Massachusetts. The Iraq war veteran also ran for U.S. Senate and Massachusetts governor after serving as mayor from 2010 to 2018.

When he came up short in his bid for governor, Warren found a home at Harvard, where he became executive director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. In 2022, Warren landed a new role at the Harvard Kennedy School, becoming director of the Institute of Politics.

In their statement, Weinstein and Deming said Warren “will be remembered as a visionary and tireless leader who helped steer these institutions as they hosted prominent speakers and fellows from across the political divide, conducted groundbreaking research, and fostered debate and engagement on the most challenging issues of our time.”

“Most of all, he will be remembered at Harvard by the many students he helped to teach, nurture, and mentor. Setti’s students loved him, and their impact — like his — will reverberate for generations to come,” they added.

During former President Bill Clinton’s terms in the 1990s, Warren worked as a special assistant in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. He also served as the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in New England and as a U.S. Naval Reservist.

What are prominent figures saying about Setti Warren’s death?

Senator Elizabeth Warren was among those who shared her condolences after the death of Warren: “I’m saddened to hear about Setti Warren. Massachusetts lost a light today,” Elizabeth Warren tweeted. “Setti was a true public servant. I’m thinking of him and his family.”

According to The Newton Beacon, Newton mayor Ruthanne Fuller shared her thoughts in an email to the community, saying Warren is remembered for his “passion for public service and an unshakeable belief that government can be a force for good.”

U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss said, “Massachusetts has lost a bright light much too young.”

“Setti Warren was my mayor, my friend, and an exemplar to everyone of public service,” Auchincloss tweeted. “When I first ran for city council, it was his style of door-to-door dynamism that inspired me. I grieve for his wife, Tassy, and his children. May his life and work inspire for years to come.”