Former Republican Maine Senator, Secretary of Defense praises King’s ability “to bring the country together”
BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King’s reelection campaign today announced it has received the endorsement of former Maine Republican Senator and Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen. Today’s news builds on June’s announcement that former Maine Senator and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell also endorsed Senator King.
In a statement shared by the campaign, Cohen wrote:
“Angus is a model public official who looks at issues in the way that they need to be evaluated — without rancor or politics. He goes out of his way to avoid the anger and partisan tribalism, remaining focused on Maine’s needs. He looks at every issue and evaluates it on its merits, without letting politics seep in, and chooses the right thing to do.
– Bill Cohen, Former Maine Senator and Secretary of Defense
“He is the one person I can look to and say, ‘Angus King remains Angus King’ — an independent who looks at every issue and evaluates it on the merits, on whether it’s the right thing to do. I have great admiration for and reliance upon all the work that he’s doing to help bring the country together.
Secretary William S. Cohen was born in Bangor, Maine, the son of bakery owners. He received his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and earned his law degree from Boston University. After returning to Bangor to practice law, he served in various public-facing roles: as an assistant county attorney for Penobscot County, a member of the Bangor City Council and Bangor School Board, and as mayor of the city of Bangor. He was also an instructor at the University of Maine.
In 1972, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Maine’s second congressional district, and immersed himself in issues related to national security — including a trip to Thailand to reinforce that alliance amidst the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam.
After three terms in the House, he defeated highly respected incumbent Senator Bill Hathaway in 1978, whose 2nd District seat he had filled six years earlier. During his time in the Senate, Cohen developed a reputation as a pragmatist – able to find compromise amid chaos. He was tapped early on to chair key subcommittees related to national security, while remaining a staunch environmentalist. He led numerous Congressional Delegation trips to Europe and Asia and led or served on respected security-related study groups and committees, such as the Council on Foreign Relations.
In 1996, after six successful terms in the Maine House and Senate, Cohen decided to not seek re-election – citing frustrations with partisan gridlock. In an unprecedented, bipartisan move, President Clinton tapped Cohen to serve as his Secretary of Defense, where he oversaw modernization efforts and efforts to address retention problems within the military. He oversaw the expansion of NATO to include the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland while making progress on arms control negotiations with Russia. Since leaving the Pentagon, he founded a consulting firm; wrote several books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; and appears as an analyst for BBC News. In 2002, he was presented with the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service.
For more information on Senator King’s re-election campaign, accomplishments and goals, please visit AngusForMaine.com.
###
