NEW : Percy once considered running for president in 1985 . Former U.S. Sen. Charles Percy , a prominent Illinois Republican who served in the Senate for nearly 20 years and became chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee , died Saturday , said a spokesman for Sen. Jay Rockefeller , a relative . Percy was suffering Alzheimer 's in recent years . He was a 91 -time rising star in the U.S. Senate . He was elected to the Republican Party in 1985 and served until 1985 .
NEW : Percy once considered running for president in 1985 . Percy was suffering Alzheimer 's in recent years . He was a 91 -time rising star in the U.S. Senate . He was elected to the Republican Party in 1985 and served until 1985 .