Joseph Edward Brennan

Joseph Edward Brennan (November 2, 1934 – April 5, 2024) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Maine who served as the 70th governor of Maine from 1979 to 1987 and as a United States Representative for Maine’s 1st congressional district from 1987 to 1991. Over a public career spanning several decades, he held key state and federal offices, including service as Maine attorney general, state legislator, county district attorney, and commissioner on the Federal Maritime Commission during the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama administrations.

Brennan was born on November 2, 1934, in Portland, Maine, and grew up in the working-class Munjoy Hill neighborhood of that city. He was educated in local schools and came of age in a community that would remain central to his political identity and base of support. His early experiences in Portland’s neighborhoods, including Munjoy Hill, informed his later emphasis on public safety, economic opportunity, and access to education for ordinary Mainers.

After completing his early education, Brennan pursued legal studies and became an attorney, a profession that provided the foundation for his entry into public service. Admitted to the bar in Maine, he began practicing law and soon combined his legal work with political activity in the Democratic Party. His legal training and experience in the courtroom shaped his approach to legislation and executive decision-making throughout his career, particularly in areas involving criminal justice, regulatory policy, and negotiations with federal authorities and tribal governments.

Brennan’s formal political career began in the Maine House of Representatives, where he won election in 1964 and served three terms. When first elected to the Maine House, he did not own a car and was known to hitchhike from Portland to the State House in Augusta, a reflection of both his modest means and his determination to serve. In 1970, he was elected Cumberland County district attorney. During his tenure as district attorney, his home on Munjoy Hill was shot at, with bullets landing near his infant daughter. This personal experience with gun violence strongly influenced his later support for a ban on assault-style weapons in the United States. In 1972, he advanced to the Maine Senate, continuing to build a reputation as a capable and diligent public official.

In 1974, Brennan sought higher office and ran for governor of Maine, but he lost the Democratic nomination to George J. Mitchell. Shortly thereafter, on January 2, 1975, the Maine Legislature selected him to serve as Maine attorney general. In that role, Brennan played a significant part in negotiations among the State of Maine, the Wabanaki tribes, and the federal government that culminated in the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1980, a landmark federal law enacted during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. Brennan ran for governor again in 1978 and this time won the election. He was reelected by a wider margin in 1982, serving two four-year terms as the 70th governor of Maine from 1979 to 1987. As governor, he launched education reforms, pressed for tougher highway safety measures, and helped establish the Finance Authority of Maine to expand access to capital and support economic development. Among his notable gubernatorial appointments were future Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell, whom he nominated to the United States Senate seat vacated by Edmund Muskie when Muskie became Secretary of State, and future Governor of Maine Janet Mills, whom he appointed as the first female district attorney in the New England region.

Upon completing his service as governor, Brennan was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from Maine’s 1st congressional district. He served two terms in Congress from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 1991. During this period, he participated in the legislative process at the federal level and represented the interests of his coastal and urban constituents from southern Maine during a significant era in American history that included the final years of the Cold War and the beginning of major economic and regulatory changes. As a member of the House of Representatives, Brennan contributed to debates on national policy while drawing on his extensive experience in state government, law enforcement, and executive administration.

After leaving Congress in 1991, Brennan continued his public service at the federal level. He was appointed a commissioner on the Federal Maritime Commission, where he served under Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. In this capacity, he was involved in oversight and regulation of the United States’ international oceanborne transportation system, an area of growing importance to global trade and to the economy of maritime states such as Maine. His long tenure on the Commission reflected bipartisan confidence in his judgment and experience in regulatory and transportation matters.

Joseph Edward Brennan remained a respected figure in Maine politics and public life well into his later years, frequently cited for his contributions to education policy, public safety initiatives, and economic development programs, as well as for his role in advancing the careers of other prominent Maine leaders. He died on April 5, 2024, at the age of 89, closing a career that had spanned local, state, and federal service over more than half a century.