Joseph Eugene "Joe" Kernan (born April 8, 1946) is an American politician who became the 48th Governor of Indiana on September 13, 2003 upon the death of Frank O'Bannon. He was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1946. Kernan is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to becoming the governor, he served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and then as the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana. He lost an election to serve a full term as governor of Indian...
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Joseph Eugene "Joe" Kernan (born April 8, 1946) is an American politician who became the 48th Governor of Indiana on September 13, 2003 upon the death of Frank O'Bannon. He was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1946. Kernan is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to becoming the governor, he served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and then as the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana. He lost an election to serve a full term as governor of Indiana to former George W. Bush Office of Management and Budget director Mitch Daniels on November 2, 2004. Kernan returned to South Bend and retired from politics.
Joe Kernan 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 entered the United States Navy in 1969 and served as a Naval Flight Officer aboard the carrier USS Kitty Hawk. In May 1972, Kernan was shot down by the enemy while on a...
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