(This story was updated to add new information.)
Former U.S. Congressman Blake Farenthold has died, according to friends of the man who is also known as a popular local radio show host.
He was 63.
Farenthold died either late June 19 or early June 20, friends said.
It was not immediately clear what specifically led to Farenthold’s passing, but some referenced potential health issues.
Farenthold is generally recognized for his elected office, but also for his radio personality and his tech savvy in the days of the early internet frontier.
He was also the step-grandson of Frances “Sissy” Farenthold, who served as state representative for Nueces County in the 1960s.
In his political life, Farenthold served as U.S. House representative for District 27 from 2011 through 2018.
He was “a national leader on the internet even before he went to D.C.,” said political consultant Steve Ray, and, while in office, wielded his knowledge to support bills related to the technology.
Farenthold was also involved in work in energy and commerce, as well as homeland security, Ray added — endeavors that did not attract a lot of attention but were “things that make a real difference in the lives of Americans in the long run.”
He was “one of the best congressmen we’ve ever had to be able to affect things in Corpus Christi,” said Ray, who worked with Farenthold during his campaign.
“Blake came in with the knowledge of the Coastal Bend unlike what a lot of other people did,” Ray said. “He made use of that to do everything he could to improve the lives of people in this area.”
Farenthold continuously held congressional office as a representative until he resigned in 2018 following news reports that he had used $84,000 in taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit.
He later became the legislative liaison for the Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort and left the position in 2019.
Farenthold was a staple on KKTX 1360 A.M.’s Lago in the Morning conservative talk radio show, which focused largely on local politics, bringing in elected officials for candid interviews.
That was how Nueces County Commissioner Mike Pusley said he got to know Farenthold, beginning in late 2008.
Pusley was elected Nueces County commissioner the following year, and while serving in their respective positions, he and Farenthold “had an opportunity to work together on a number of different things,” he said.
“Blake had an important legacy here in our community — he ran for Congress against a longtime-serving, well-established, very powerful congressman in Solomon Ortiz,” Pusley said. “Most of us in the Republican Party thought Blake didn’t have a prayer of winning that race. But he fooled everyone and won. … It set an important precedent here in our community and, of course, that office has remained in Republican control since Blake won it.”
Larry Elizondo, who formerly served as a representative for Citgo Petroleum, described Farenthold as a “great ally” for industry in Washington.
Similar to Pusley, Elizondo first became acquainted with Farenthold as a guest on Jim Lago’s show.
“It’s not very often you run across a person who is a radio show host, a computer whiz, a former United States congressman, that is just down to earth,” Elizondo said. “And he was very much that.”
Farenthold later launched his own talk show radio program, Blake’s Morning Show, after Lago passed away in March 2023.
Caller-Times archive publications contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Former Congressman Blake Farenthold has died, friends say
Reporting by Kirsten Crow, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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