Johnny Hayes | Al Gore finance chief, 67

Johnny Hayes, 67, a Democratic fund-raiser who managed finances for the two presidential campaigns of former Vice President Al Gore, died Saturday.

His family issued a statement through Deputy Tennessee Gov. Stuart Brunson saying that Mr. Hayes had died of stomach cancer at his home northeast of Nashville.

Mr. Hayes first managed Gore's campaign finances when he was elected to the U.S. House in 1976 and for his subsequent Senate victories. As a fellow Tennessee native and longtime confidant, Mr. Hayes was tapped to lead the finance effort for Gore's presidential bids in 1988 and 2000.

Mr. Hayes was prominent in other races. He led fund-raising efforts for Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen's campaign in 2002 and again when Bredesen won reelection in a 2006 landslide.

After being sworn in as vice president in 1993, Gore nominated Mr. Hayes to become a director of the Tennessee Valley Authority. In 1999, Mr. Hayes left the country's largest public utility to become chief fund-raiser for Gore's 2000 presidential race.

After Gore lost to George W. Bush, Mr. Hayes was hired to lobby Congress on behalf of the troubled electric wholesaler Enron Corp., which collapsed in late 2001.

- AP