Herman Cain, businessman and former Republican presidential candidate, reportedly died on Thursday after a weeks-long battle with COVID-19. He was 74.
Cain died in an Atlanta-area hospital where he was critically ill after contracting the novel coronavirus late last month, Newsmax reported.
Days before he tested positive, Cain had attended a rally for President Donald Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was photographed not wearing a protective mask.
Read More: Herman Cain hospitalized with COVID-19 after attending Trump rally
It is not clear, however, where the chair of Black Voices for Trump contracted the virus.
According to NewsMax, Cain recently joined Newsmax TV and was set to launch a weekly show.
“He was one of the most original thinkers in American politics. He creative strong convictions, an open mind and a deep sense of patriotism,’’ political consultant Dick Morris told Newsmax.
“He was a great friend, a great guy. Suddenly, the plague strikes home.’’
Read More: Herman Cain says Black folks are “brainwashed” against Trump
President Trump briefly considered Cain as his nominee to sit on the Federal Reserve Board, but his name was withdrawn following opposition from some Republican senators.
Cain, a graduate of Morehouse College and who grew up poor in Atlanta, was a self-made man having started his own business, Godfather’s Pizza, which became a national chain. Had previously served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in 1995.
Before launching his career as a entrepreneur, the Memphis, Tennessee native worked as a systems analyst at Coca Cola Co. and regional vice president of Pillsbury’s Burger King.
Cain ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 but ultimately dropped out of the race after several women accused him of sexual harassment and engaging in an extra-marital affair. Cain denied the allegations.
Cain leaves behind his wife of 52 years Gloria Cain.
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