Iowa and the nation lost a rare public servant last week. And Deba Leach lost her husband, Jim. Former Congressman Jim Leach was a moderate-to-liberal Republican representing Iowa’s eastern congressional district from 1977 until 2007.

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach has died at age 82. He served 30 years as a politician from eastern Iowa. He later headed the National Endowment for the Humanities.