Daniel John McGillicuddy

Daniel John McGillicuddy (August 27, 1859 – July 30, 1936) was a United States Representative from Maine and a member of the Democratic Party who served three consecutive terms in Congress from 1911 to 1917. Over the course of his public career, he held offices at the local, state, and national levels and played a role in Democratic Party affairs both in Maine and nationally during a significant period in American political history.

McGillicuddy was born in Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine, on August 27, 1859, to John and Ellen McGillicuddy, both of whom were Irish immigrants. He was educated in the common schools of Lewiston and then attended Bates College in Lewiston from 1877 to 1880. After leaving Bates, he enrolled at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, from which he graduated in 1881. He subsequently studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1883, and commenced the practice of law in his native city of Lewiston.

In addition to his legal practice, McGillicuddy became active in public affairs and Democratic politics in Maine. He was elected a member of the Maine House of Representatives, where he gained early legislative experience. He later served as Mayor of Lewiston, further establishing his prominence in local government and party leadership. His growing influence within the Democratic Party was reflected in his selection as a delegate at large from Maine to the Democratic National Conventions of 1892, 1904, 1912, and 1920, where he participated in the nomination of national candidates and the formation of party platforms.

McGillicuddy sought national office several times before achieving success. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for election to the Sixtieth Congress in 1906 and again for the Sixty-first Congress in 1908. Persisting in his efforts, he was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-second, Sixty-third, and Sixty-fourth Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1911, to March 3, 1917. During these three terms in office, he represented Maine’s interests in the House of Representatives, contributed to the legislative process, and participated in the democratic governance of the nation at a time that encompassed the Progressive Era and the early years of World War I. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and as a member of the House he represented the interests of his constituents while aligning with the broader priorities of the Democratic Party.

After three terms, McGillicuddy was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1916 to the Sixty-fifth Congress and again an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1918 to the Sixty-sixth Congress. His 1916 defeat marked a notable electoral milestone: he was the last representative from Maine’s second congressional district to lose re-election until Republican Bruce Poliquin was defeated by Democrat Jared Golden in 2018. Despite his congressional defeats, McGillicuddy remained a significant figure in party politics, serving as a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1917 to 1932, thereby extending his influence in Democratic affairs well beyond his years in elective office.

Following his congressional service, McGillicuddy continued to practice law in Lewiston, maintaining his professional career in the city where he had been born, educated, and long active in public life. He remained a respected member of the bar and a veteran figure in Maine Democratic politics until his death in Lewiston on July 30, 1936. He was interred in Mount Hope Cemetery in that city, closing a life marked by sustained engagement in local, state, and national public service.