WILMINGTON, Del. — Former Delaware Gov. Mike Castle, a Republican moderate who championed creating the popular 50 State Quarters Program of commemorative coins while he served in Congress, has died. He was 86. The Delaware Republican Party announced that Castle died Thursday in Greenville but shared no other details.

Delaware politicians say Mike Castle, one of the First State's best-known political figures, has died at age 86. Castle was elected governor in 1985 and served two terms. After that, he served in Congress from 1993 to 2011. The Republican ran for Senate in 2010, but lost the primary to Christine O'Donnell.

Michael N. Castle, Delaware's lone and longest-serving member of the House of U.S. Representatives and was also Delaware's governor, has died at 86.