Former Republican presidential candidate and businessman Herman Cain has passed away after a battle with COVID-19. He was 74.

Conservative news and commentary site Newsmax reports that Cain was admitted to an Atlanta hospital on July 1, two days after being diagnosed. According to Newsmax, Cain attended a rally for President Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma ten days prior, but given his busy travel schedule it is not clear where or when Cain contracted the virus.



Cain had been scheduled to begin a weekly show on Newsmax. Cain had hosted a podcast, was a regular syndicated columnist, and had been a frequent guest on talk programs, lending his perspective on current events.

Cain, who identified with the Tea Party in the lead-up to the 2012 election cycle, was known as a shrewd businessman who used his talents to help save Burger King and Godfather's Pizza from ruin in the 1980s.

In 1994, Cain, then president elect of the National Restaurant Association, challenged President Bill Clinton's Health Security Act during a town hall meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. The exchange was credited by many with the ultimate failure of the proposed legislation.

Cain then began advising Republican candidates, including Bob Dole, and in 2012 threw his hat into the ring for the Republican presidential nomination. He famously touted his 9-9-9 tax plan and was a strong candidate until sexual harassment and misconduct allegations hurt his poll numbers. He suspended his campaign in December of 2011.

Cain stayed active in politics and remained a Tea Party darling until his passing.

Cain is survived by his wife, Gloria Etchison, and two children.

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