Fargo, ND (AP) — Former ND Congressman Mark Andrews has died at age 94.

The Republican was virtually unbeatable after being appointed to the U.S. House in 1963. He served eight more terms as a congressman and a term in the U.S. Senate before an upset defeat in 1986. Andrews surprised some Republicans with his criticism of some of President Ronald Reagan’s economic policies, once saying that “people in North Dakota didn’t elect me to be a rubber stamp.”

Bismarck  (CSi) – Gov. Doug Burgum released the following statement today regarding former U.S. Sen. Mark Andrews, who passed away Saturday, Oct. 3, at age 94. Andrews represented North Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1981 and in the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1987.

“Mark Andrews was a longtime family friend, a dedicated public servant and an unflinching champion for North Dakota for more than two decades in Congress,” Burgum said. “Whether he was fighting on behalf of our state’s farmers, supporting our military during the Cold War or working hard to keep the federal budget in check, Mark always had the best interests of North Dakotans at heart. Kathryn and I extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the Andrews family as they mourn their loss and celebrate Mark’s incredible life and legacy. We will miss him dearly.”