Nancy Kassebaum Baker, the first woman elected to the United States Senate without a relative previously holding the seat, died on Friday at age 94, according to her son. She served three terms from 1978 to 1997, chaired the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, and was the only woman among eight female senators when she left office. Baker was the daughter of former Kansas Governor Alf Landon, the 1936 Republican presidential nominee, and entered the Senate after a career in state politics. During her 18 years in the Senate she cultivated a moderate reputation, working across party lines and supporting legislation such as the 1996 health insurance act co‑named with Senator Ted Kennedy. She advocated for a ban on assault weapons and endorsed Democratic candidates for governor and senator, including Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. In 2021 she called for the impeachment of former President Donald Trump after the Capitol attack. She married Senator Howard Baker in 1996; he died in 2014. After leaving the Senate she continued public service roles and remained a respected figure in Kansas. Her death concludes a career that bridged moderate Republicanism with progressive initiatives and left a lasting influence on Kansas politics.