However, David never won a seat in Congress, and Dan ended up being defeated for re-election in 1984 due, in part, to his having sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl.

He almost always won with 70 percent or more of the vote until the 1990s,[4] when he had to fend off more moderate Republicans in the primary and better-funded Democrats in the general election.

"[13][14] In 1974, Crane helped initiate the only public and filmed audit of the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox in Kentucky.

This experience was shared by 12 congressmen and 100 journalists,[15] and hosted by Mary Brooks, then director of the United States Mint.

In 1976, he was appointed Chairman of the Illinois Citizens for Reagan,[16] in which capacity he made numerous speaking engagements throughout the midwest on behalf of the conservative California governor's unsuccessful GOP primary bid for the Presidential nomination.

Newt Gingrich, who had been elected to Congress soon after Crane announced his candidacy for president, soon surpassed him as the leading conservative firebrand in the House.

Crane did have some influence as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which handles tax issues.

Some believe that Crane was not chosen because prior to the vote he had admitted to being an alcoholic and sought a leave from the House to get treatment.

Crane is also noted for the role he played in ending the chewing gum ban in Singapore, as part of negotiations during the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.

The Almanac of American Politics described Crane as "an unusually bitter loser, refusing to speak to Bean or to arrange for the usually routine post-election transfer of district cases and other office files.

"[24] Crane died of lung cancer at the home of his daughter, Rebekah, in Jefferson, Maryland, on November 8, 2014, five days after his 84th birthday.

[18][25][26] Crane is portrayed by actor James Marsden in the 2020 television miniseries Mrs. America, which aired on the Hulu Network.