David Horowitz, a prominent conservative commentator, author, and activist, passed away on April 29, 2025, at the age of 86 after a prolonged battle with cancer. His death was announced by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, the conservative think tank he founded. Born on January 10, 1939, in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Horowitz was the son of schoolteachers and raised in a politically active, leftist household. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s from the University of California, Berkeley. Early in his career, Horowitz was a Marxist and a prominent figure in the New Left movement of the 1960s. However, disillusionment with the radical left led him to become one of its most vocal critics, marking a significant ideological shift that would define his later work.
In 1988, Horowitz established the David Horowitz Freedom Center, dedicated to promoting conservative values and combating what he viewed as the left’s dominance in academia and media. He also founded FrontPage Magazine and Discover the Networks, platforms aimed at exposing leftist ideologies and figures. Throughout his career, Horowitz authored numerous books, including “Radical Son,” a memoir detailing his political transformation, and “The Black Book of the American Left,” a multi-volume series critiquing leftist movements. Horowitz’s personal life was marked by both joy and tragedy. He was married four times, with his final marriage to April Mullvain. He had four children: Benjamin, Jonathan, Anne, and Sarah Rose. Sarah Rose, a teacher and human rights activist, passed away in 2008 due to complications related to Turner syndrome. Horowitz chronicled her life and their relationship in his 2009 book, “A Cracking of the Heart.” His son, Benjamin Horowitz, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, shared a heartfelt obituary highlighting his father’s unwavering dedication to his beliefs and his influence on political discourse. In one poignant anecdote, Benjamin recounted how a phone call from former President Donald Trump lifted Horowitz’s spirits during his hospitalization, reflecting the deep connections he maintained within conservative circle.
David Horowitz’s legacy is one of fervent advocacy and ideological evolution. His journey from a Marxist intellectual to a stalwart conservative commentator underscores a life dedicated to political engagement and the pursuit of what he believed to be truth and justice. He is survived by his wife, April, his children Benjamin, Jonathan, and Anne, and a legacy that continues to influence American political thought.