Perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche dead at 96

LEESBURG, Va. (AP) — Lyndon LaRouche Jr., the political extremist who ran for president in every election from 1976 to 2004, including a campaign waged from federal prison, has died. He was 96.

LaRouche's political action committee confirmed Wednesday on its website that LaRouche died a day earlier.

The cult-like figure, who espoused a wide range of conspiracy theories and advocated for an overhaul of the world's economic and financial systems, ran first as a U. S. Labor Party candidate and later, after an apparent shift to the right, as a Democratic or independent candidate.

In 1986, LaRouche described himself as being in the tradition of the American Whig party, a forerunner of the Republican Party in the first half of the 19th century. In 1990, he ran unsuccessfully to represent Virginia in Congress.

His views evolved throughout his life, but a central tenet of his apocalyptic platform warned of an inevitable global downward slide into crisis.

His PAC described him as a "philosopher, scientist, poet, statesman" who died on the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln, whom he celebrated in his writings.

"Those who knew and loved Lyndon LaRouche know that humanity has suffered a great loss, and today we dedicate ourselves anew to bring to reality the big ideas for which history will honor him," the organization said in a statement posted online.