Joseph Brennan (1934–2024), former governor of Maine
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2 min readJoseph Brennan was the 70th governor of Maine and a former state Attorney General who also served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Died: April 6, 2024 (Who else died on April 6?)
Details of death: Died in Munjoy Hill, Maine at the age of 89.
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Joseph Brennan’s legacy
Born in Portland, Joseph Brennan went to Portland Junior College, then earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston College in 1958. He moved on to a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law before going into politics. Brennan began his political career as a member of the Maine House of Representatives, serving from 1965 to 1971, then moving to the state senate from 1973 to 1975.
Brennan's big leap upward came in 1975, when he was selected to be the state Attorney General after a failed attempt at winning the democratic nomination for governor. This set him up for his 1978 run for governor – and this time he was successful. He served two terms from 1979 to 1987, with a focus on education reform, economics, and bringing more women into politics. After his tenure, he ran for and won election to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served two terms (1987–1991).
Brennan continued to run for office after his time in Congress, twice more running for governor, and then running against Susan Collins in 1996 for the U.S. Senate. He later served on the Federal Maritime Commission under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
On running for office:
“If you had a ring, I had a hat to throw into it. I wasn’t shy about running.”—News Center Maine, 2018
Tributes to Joseph Brennan
Full obituary: Portland Press Herald
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