Longtime New Jersey House Representative Bill Pascrell Jr. died Wednesday morning, his family said.

He was 87 years old.

Pascrell, a Democrat, represented the Garden State’s 9th District from 1997 until his death.

He also served four terms in the New Jersey General Assembly and was mayor of his hometown of Paterson from 1990 to 1997.

“As our representative of the United States, Bill fought until his final breath to return to the job he loved and the people he loved,” the family statement said.

“Bill was a lifelong Paterson resident and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He now rests in peace after dedicating his life to our great nation of America.”

Pascrell’s deputy chief of staff, Mark Greenbaum, called his late boss a “step backwards” and a “great man.”

“He spent his whole life in Paterson and our district. He loved his job so much. He was a man of the people, the likes of which you don’t see very often these days. He may be the last of his kind in Congress,” he told the Post.

Pascrell was admitted to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson on July 14, where he spent time in intensive care for a respiratory illness, the New Jersey Globe reported.

“He’s currently devouring CNN to get the latest news on Harris’ campaign,” Pascrell’s chief of staff Ben Rich told the network at the time.

The 14-term congressman was released to a rehabilitation clinic on August 7, but was hospitalized again just 10 days before his death, according to NBC News.

Earlier this year, Pascrell was challenged in the Democratic primary by Mohamed Khairullah, who is trying to pose as an anti-Israel “Squad” candidate.

In the months leading up to the primaries, Pascrell faced harsh criticism from his district’s large Palestinian population for his pro-Israel stance, POLITICO reported.

Locals from Paterson’s “Little Ramallah,” home to the country’s largest Palestinian-American community, accused him of being a “mouthpiece for the dehumanization of the Palestinian people.”

In a video obtained by POLITICO last winter, Pascrell supported Israel’s right to defend itself after the Oct. 7 attack.

He did not join the Democratic Party’s calls for a ceasefire.

Had he won a 15th term this fall, Pascrell would have become the oldest member of the House of Representatives following the retirement of Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), the New Jersey Globe noted.

His longtime Democratic colleague Frank Pallone of New Jersey paid tribute to Pascrell shortly after his death.

“I had the honor of serving alongside @BillPascrell for 27 years. I will greatly miss my friend and partner,” he wrote on X.

“My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Elsie, their children and grandchildren who supported him throughout his life of public service and generously shared him with all of us.”

Pascrell is the second congressman from New Jersey to die in recent months.

Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark) suffered a heart attack in April and was unconscious for 18 days before dying on April 24 at the age of 65.