Edgar, Robert R.

Robert William Edgar (May 29, 1943 – April 23, 2013) was an American politician, administrator, and religious leader. A native of the Philadelphia area, he began his career as a Methodist pastor and chaplain. He served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania. He was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for United States Senate in Pennsylvania in 1986. After leaving Congress, Edgar served in various religious and political organizations, including as president of the Claremont School of Theology from 1990 to 2000, and as president and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization, from 2007 until his death.