By AP
KALAMAZOO, MI – Michigan House member and state Senate candidate Robert B. Jones has died. He was 66.
The cause of his death Sunday wasn't immediately known, but the Kalamazoo Gazette says he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer about a year ago.
Jones was a former Kalamazoo mayor and was running for a state Senate seat now held by term-limited Republican Tom George. State Rep. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, also seeks the seat.
Jones has worked as a research chemist and production supervisor at The Upjohn Co. and Pharmacia Corp.
He was mayor for eight years before winning a state House seat in 2006.
The Legislature's top Democrats say Jones was a "a mentor to other lawmakers and was greatly respected" in both chambers.