Friends and colleagues are remembering Francis G. Brennan as a key behind-the-scenes political player in his heyday and a key mentor who helped Republican John G. Rowland become governor.
Brennan, who died last week at age 91, spent much of his professional career in public education, but he spent numerous hours in politics on races for Rowland for Congress and governor.
Brennan worked as a strategist and adviser on races that included Rowland’s 1990 campaign for governor that he lost to Republican-turned-independent Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. That loss proved to be a learning experience for Rowland as he won in a five-way race in 1994 against then-Lt. Gov. Eunice Groark and Democrat Bill Curry. Rowland won again in 1998 against Democrat Barbara B. Kennelly and in 2002 against Curry for the second time.
Rowland, now 68, was later convicted twice and served two federal prison terms following political scandals.
“Fran was a longtime friend and political adviser over many campaigns,” Rowland said in an email to The Courant. “He was beloved by hundreds of volunteers over the years. His friendly manner and advice was always appreciated by everyone he encountered.”
Brennan, who was 23 years older than Rowland, was considered the wise, seasoned, veteran adviser in races where Rowland won for the state legislature at age 23, Congress at age 27 and for governor at age 37. Unlike the fiercely harsh political rhetoric that is common now in political campaigns, Brennan maintained a low-key style of offering advice and strategy in the 1980s and 1990s.
With his gentlemanly, non-confrontational style, Brennan had friends on both sides of the political aisle. Among the prominent Democratic mourners at his funeral services were state Sen. Joan Hartley, former Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary, and U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Wolcott Democrat who represents the 5th Congressional District.
The ties between Brennan and the Rowland family ran deep and lasted more than 50 years.
“My dad and John’s mother and father grew up together,” said Mark Brennan, who worked closely with his father on Rowland’s campaigns. “My dad ran for mayor of Waterbury in 1975. On the ticket was John’s mother, and John’s father was the campaign manager. I’ve known John [Rowland] all my life.”
When Rowland ran for Congress in 1984, Brennan served as the co-campaign manager with Watertown lawyer John Mastropietro, who later became the state Republican chairman with support from Rowland, U.S. Rep. Chris Shays, and others. Brennan briefly ran for the chairman’s post, but he then deferred to his friend.
“My dad was instrumental in bringing Ronald Reagan into Waterbury in 1984,” Brennan said, recalling a well-membered rally. “There were 30,000 people on the Green in Waterbury. That put Rowland on the map. That put the Republican Party on the map. That kind of changed the tide. The last time that we had a Republican Speaker of the House [in Connecticut] was after the 1984 election.”
Reagan’s official remarks from Sept. 19, 1984 show that he talked about taxes and other issues that were important to the working class “Reagan Democrats” who crossed the aisle and voted for Reagan’s re-election.
“But I tell you truly, the only abandoning I see is that the Democratic leadership has abandoned the good and decent Democrats of the J.F.K., F.D.R., and Harry Truman tradition — people who believe in the interests of working people, who are not ashamed or afraid of America standing up for freedom in the world,” Reagan told the Waterbury crowd. “And if you see it as I do, I have to tell you, join us. And by us, I hope you’ll join John Rowland and Larry DeNardis and Hershel Klein, Roberta Coontz, Stewart McKinney, and Nancy Johnson. Don’t think, any of you, that you don’t have a political home. You will listen to the arguments and issues in this campaign, and I think by the end you may decide your home is with us.”
Rowland became the only Connecticut politician in the past 200 years to win three four-year terms for governor — a feat that current Gov. Ned Lamont is trying to match.
President Ronald Reagan came to Connecticut in 1984 to campaign with a young John Rowland, who later became governor. Here, they greeted supporters in Fairfield.
Brennan is survived by Mary, his wife of 67 years; his daughter, Lisa; his sons, Mark and Thomas; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
In his day job, Brennan was a longtime educator who became vice principal of Kennedy High School in Waterbury before becoming principal of Wilby High School in the city. He later served for six years as the director of the downtown Waterbury campus of the University of Connecticut. He created and taught a class at UConn that was called American Presidency.
“My dad had the largest political campaign button collection in the state,” Brennan said. “We’re going to donate that to the Mattatuck Museum” in Waterbury.
Christopher Keating can be reached at [email protected]