Democrat Joseph E. Brennan, whose difficult childhood shaped his working-class mindset during a political career that included two terms as Maine governor and two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, said Friday He died that night at his home in Portland.
He was 89 years old.
Mr. Brennan died surrounded by his wife a few blocks from the three-story Munjoy Hill rowhouse where his Irish immigrant parents raised their family of eight children, longtime friend Frank O’Hara said Saturday. Ta.
O’Hara said Brennan’s experiences in that working-class melting pot stuck with him when he entered politics at age 29, running for a seat in the Maine state legislature.
An Army veteran, Brennan attended Boston University on the GI Bill and graduated from the University of Maine School of Law.
He served as a state representative, governor, and congressman, as well as county district attorney and state attorney general.
Former Democratic Gov. Joe Baldacci called Brennan a “friend, mentor and dedicated servant.”
“He was a man of the greatest integrity who led Maine through difficult times. He believed we had an obligation to make things better, and he put those ideals into practice through his commitment to public education and improving the state’s economy.” “We did,” Baldacci said.
As attorney general, Brennan participated in negotiations with the Wabanaki Nation and the federal government that resulted in the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1980, signed by President Jimmy Carter while Brennan was governor.
As governor, Brennan initiated education reform, called for stricter highway safety measures, and helped establish the Maine Department of Finance.
Current Governor Janet Mills, a fellow Democrat and appointed by Mr. Brennan as the first female district attorney in 1980, said she was chosen despite opposition from many men at the time. She said it paved the way for her to become Maine’s first female governor. .
“Governor. Brennan has taught me and others that politics is about building relationships, that public service is about enriching the lives of others, not enriching ourselves, and most importantly… “It showed us that it’s about relationships with the people we serve,” she said.
Another important appointment by Brennan was the nomination of federal judge George Mitchell to fill the vacancy left by Democratic Sen. Edmund Muskie, who resigned to become secretary of state in 1980.
Mitchell became Senate majority leader.
“His family and the people of Maine have lost a great man, and I have lost a dear friend,” Mitchell said, calling Brennan “a strong and fair justice system important to our democracy.” He was a great leader and lawyer who understood.” ”
