Joseph E. Kernan, the 48th governor of Indiana, died this morning after a long illness. He was 74.
His death was announced this morning in an email from his former chief of staff, Mary Downes.
Kernan became governor in 2003 after the unexpected death of Gov. Frank O’Bannon of complications from a stroke. He immediately made history by naming a woman, Kathy Davis, as his lieutenant governor. Kernan would go on to lose to Mitch Daniels in the governor’s race in 2004.
Kernan, a longtime fixture in the Democratic Party in the state, served three terms as mayor of South Bend. In 1996, O’Bannon, who was running for governor, asked Kernan to join him on the ticket. O’Bannon and Kernan were elected in November of that year. They won re-election four years later.
Kernan began his career in public service in the Navy. He and his co-pilot were shot down while on a reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam in 1972. He spent 11 months as a POW in Hanoi, including at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison.
“Indiana mourns the loss of Joe Kernan, a bona fide American hero, decorated Navy officer, and truly selfless statesman who always placed the interests of his fellow Hoosiers first,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said this morning.
“Distinguished isn’t a strong enough word to describe him. Without regard for personal cost, Joe Kernan devoted every ounce of his life, time and again, to upholding the oath he took, and serving the country and state he loved.”
This story will be updated.
