Former Democrat Congressman and Governor Dead at 89

It has been a rough couple of weeks for the Democrat Party in terms of losing some of its most high-profile members.

About two weeks ago, former Senator Joe Lieberman passed away.

Now the death of Joe Brennan is being reported, a crushing blow to the party and those who served with him in Congress, such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

He’s Gone

Brennan’s political career started in 1965, winning a seat in the Maine legislature, where he served until 1971.

In 1973, Brennan moved up to the state Senate for two years, until he became Maine’s Attorney General in 1975.

In the following election, Brennan was elected as governor of the state, serving from 1979 to 1987.

He parlayed that office to a seat in Congress, serving two terms from 1987 to 1991.

In November 1999, Bill Clinton appointed Brennan as the commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission, where he would serve a total of three presidents, leaving the position in 2013.

Brennan reportedly passed away just a few doors away from where he grew up as a child.

His wife by his side, the former Democrat governor passed away on Friday night.

Former Democratic Gov. Joe Baldacci stated, “He was a man of the highest integrity, who led Maine through difficult times. He believed that he had an obligation to make things better, and he lived that ideal through his commitment to public education and improving the state’s economy.”

Current Democrat Governor Janet Mills added, “Gov. Brennan demonstrated for me and others that politics is about building relationships, that public service is not about enriching yourself but about enriching the lives of others, and that the most important relationship is the one we have with the people we serve.”

Brennan appointed Mills as the first female DA in 1980, which put her on the path to becoming the state’s first female governor.