The long-term Republican announced in late August he was battling cancer. His family says he died at his home in Philadelphia on Sunday from complications of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Specter served for 30 years in the Senate, a record for a Pennsylvania Senator.

He was originally a Republican, but in 2009, switched to the democratic side, because he didn't think he could win the GOP nomination.

Specter lost the democratic primary in 2010, ending his senate career.

He was 82 years old.