Lieutenant Kathy Davis Spouse(s) Maggie Kernan Succeeded by Mitch Daniels Political party Democratic Party Democratic Party | Preceded by Frank O'Bannon Name Joe Kernan Preceded by Frank O'Bannon Profession Businessman Battles and wars Vietnam War | |
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Full Name Joseph Eugene Kernan Born April 8, 1946 (age 77)
Chicago, Illinois ( 1946-04-08 ) Role Former Governor of Indiana Previous office Governor of Indiana (2003–2005) Residence South Bend, Indiana, United States Education University of Notre Dame, St. Joseph High School | ||
Joseph Eugene "Joe" Kernan (born April 8, 1946) is an American businessman and former politician who served as the 48th Governor of Indiana from 2003 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, Kernan 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.
Contents
- Early life and education
- Military service
- Political career
- Post political career
- Personal life
- References
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
Kernan returned to private life in January 2005 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.