John A. Durkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Durkin
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Durkin in 1975
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| United States Senator from New Hampshire |
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| In office September 18, 1975 – December 29, 1980 |
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| Preceded by | Norris Cotton |
| Succeeded by | Warren Rudman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Anthony Durkin
March 29, 1936 Brookfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | October 16, 2012 (aged 76) Franklin, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Patricia Durkin (Divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | College of the Holy Cross (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1959–1961 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
John Anthony Durkin (born March 29, 1936 – died October 16, 2012) was an American politician. He was a Democrat who served as a U.S. Senator for New Hampshire. He held this important role from 1975 to 1980.
Contents
Growing Up and Learning
John Durkin was born on March 29, 1936, in Brookfield, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of four children. He finished high school in 1954. He once said his parents taught him that being a priest or an honest politician were the best jobs. He chose politics. At just 18, Durkin held his first elected job. He became the Moderator for his town's meeting. This person helps run local town meetings.
He then went to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. He graduated in 1959. Through a program called U.S. Navy ROTC, he joined the United States Navy. He served in the Navy from 1959 to 1961. He reached the rank of Lieutenant (Junior Grade).
After his Navy service, Durkin studied law at Georgetown University Law Center. He earned his law degree in 1965. He became a lawyer and started working in New Hampshire. He worked as an Assistant State Attorney General from 1966 to 1968. Then, he became the State Insurance Commissioner from 1968 to 1973. In this role, he became well-known. He often made news for fighting insurance companies to help regular people.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
The Challenging 1974 and 1975 Elections
In 1974, Durkin ran for a Senate seat. The current Senator, Norris Cotton, was retiring. Durkin won the Democratic nomination. In the election, it looked like he lost to Republican Louis Wyman by only 355 votes.
Durkin asked for a recount, which is a second count of the votes. After this, he was ahead by 10 votes! The Governor of New Hampshire then said Durkin was the winner. But Wyman asked for another recount. This time, Wyman won by two votes.
The outgoing Senator Cotton left office early. The Governor then appointed Wyman to fill the seat for a few days. This was a common way to give a new senator more experience. Most people thought the election dispute was over. However, Durkin appealed to the full United States Senate. The Senate is the final decision-maker for its own elections.
The Senate committee that handles election rules couldn't decide who should get the seat. They sent the problem to the full Senate. After many months and many attempts, the Senate still couldn't agree. There were 35 disputed points about 3,000 questionable votes. The situation got a lot of attention in the news.
Finally, Wyman suggested that he and Durkin run in a special new election. Durkin agreed. On August 8, 1975, the Senate declared the seat empty until the new election. The Governor appointed Cotton to hold the seat temporarily. In the special election on September 16, 1975, Durkin won. He defeated Wyman by more than 27,000 votes.
Years later, in 2008, Durkin talked about this long election. He said he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy. He also shared that his young daughter helped him decide to agree to the special election. She told him, "Dad, don't you realize they can't make their mind up about anything?" He realized if kids noticed the problem, he had to do something.
Key Moments in the Senate
For the first four years of his term, Durkin served with another Democrat, Thomas J. McIntyre. This was the first time New Hampshire had two Democratic senators since before the Civil War.
As a member of the senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Durkin helped veterans. He wrote a successful change to a law in 1976. This change gave GI Bill benefits to veterans who served in the Vietnam War. These benefits help veterans pay for college or housing.
Other important parts of his Senate work included focusing on energy independence. This means finding ways for the U.S. to produce its own energy. He also worked on alternative energy sources, like solar or wind power. He also helped protect Federal lands in Alaska for future generations.
Durkin also asked the Senate to investigate a large union's pension fund. He was concerned about its possible links to crime. He also suggested a change to election laws. This change would have given free TV, radio, postage, and phone services to all serious candidates for Congress.
Durkin was a key supporter of the Alaska Lands Act. This important law was passed in 1980. It protected many wild areas in Alaska. He worked closely with the Secretary of the Interior to help this law pass.
In 1976, the United States Coast Guard tried to take control over two of New Hampshire's lakes. These were Lake Winnisquam and Lake Winnipesaukee. The Coast Guard said they could control them because they connected to the ocean. Durkin led the effort in Congress to stop this. He argued that New Hampshire's government could manage the lakes better. He also said the state would lose money from boat registration fees. His efforts were successful.
The 1980 Senate Election
In 1980, Durkin ran for re-election but was defeated. He lost to Warren Rudman, who had been New Hampshire's Attorney General. Durkin resigned early, just six days before his term officially ended. He did this so Rudman could be appointed sooner. This gave Rudman an advantage in seniority over other senators elected that year.
After leaving the Senate, Durkin went back to being a lawyer in Manchester. He tried to win New Hampshire's other Senate seat in 1990. However, he was defeated by Republican Bob Smith.
Later Years and Passing
In his later years, John Durkin lived at the New Hampshire Veterans Home. He was dealing with various health issues. He passed away on October 16, 2012, at Franklin Regional Hospital in Franklin, New Hampshire. He was 76 years old. He had three children: John, Andrea, and Sheilagh. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
