Joe Kernan (politician)

Joe Kernan
48th Governor of Indiana
In office September 13, 2003 – January 10, 2005
Lieutenant	Kathy Davis
Preceded by	Frank O'Bannon
Succeeded by	Mitch Daniels
47th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
In office January 13, 1997 – September 13, 2003 Acting Governor: Sept. 10, 2003 – Sept. 13, 2003
Governor	Frank O'Bannon
Preceded by	Frank O'Bannon
Succeeded by	Kathy Davis
Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
In office January 3, 1988 – January 3, 1997
Succeeded by	Steve Luecke
Personal details
Born	Joseph Eugene Kernan (1946-04-08) April 8, 1946 Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Maggie Kernan
Residence	South Bend, Indiana
Alma mater	University of Notre Dame
Profession	Businessman
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1969–1974 (active duty) 1974-1982 (naval reserve)
Battles/wars	Vietnam War, Cold War

Joseph Eugene "Joe" Kernan (born April 8, 1946) is an American politician who was the 48th Governor of Indiana from 2003 to 2005. Kernan, a member of the Democratic Party, previously served as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and then as the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1997 to 2003. He became Governor on September 13, 2003, upon the death of Governor Frank O'Bannon. He lost an election to serve a full term as Governor to former Office of Management and Budget director Mitch Daniels on November 2, 2004. Kernan returned to South Bend and retired from politics.

Early life and education

Joe Kernan was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1946. He graduated from St. Joseph's High School in South Bend, Indiana. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in Government from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a resident of Stanford Hall. Kernan played baseball at Notre Dame in 1967 and 1968.

Military service

Kernan entered the United States Navy in 1969 and served as a Naval Flight Officer aboard the carrier USS Kitty Hawk. After he completed Naval Flight Officer training, reconnaissance training, & RA-5C Vigilante Replacement Air Group training, he served with RVAH-7 at NAS Albany, Georgia, until deploying to Southeast Asia aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk from February 1972 until he was shot down by enemy forces while on a reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on May 7, 1972. He was held as a prisoner of war for 11 months. Kernan was repatriated in 1973 and continued on active duty with the Navy until December 1974. Kernan received the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts and the Navy Commendation Medal.

Political career

Kernan was elected as Mayor of South Bend in 1987, 1991, and 1995. In 1996, Kernan was elected as Indiana's Lieutenant Governor, and then re-elected in 2000. As Lieutenant Governor, Kernan served as the President of the Indiana Senate, the Director of the Indiana Department of Commerce, and as the Commissioner of Agriculture.

Originally, Kernan declined to seek the governorship during the 2004 election, but decided to do so upon assuming the governorship after the death of Frank O'Bannon.

He was defeated by Mitch Daniels for a full four-year term in 2004.

Post-political career

After losing the election to Daniels, Kernan returned to private life and became president of the South Bend Silver Hawks baseball club. In July 2007, Kernan and Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard were appointed by Daniels to co-chair the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform.

Personal life

In 1974 he married his wife, Maggie.

See also

• List of Governors of Indiana