Leighton H. Cooney Jr. was aMainepolitician and retired schoolteacher. Cooney, aDemocrat, served three terms in theMaine House of Representatives. In1976. Cooney ran against incumbentWilliam Cohen inMaine's 2nd Congressional District and received 19.7% of the vote in a loss.[1] He was subsequently elected by theMaine Legislature to serve asMaine State Treasurer until1978, when he was replaced byJerrold Speers.
Cooney earned a B.A. fromLake Forest College and representedSabattus, Maine, in theMaine House of Representatives from1970 to 1976, where he eventually served as Chair of the State Government Committee.[2]
Cooney was rumored to be a frontrunner for the position ofState Treasurer despite his lack of financial experience because of the common practice of the majority party in the legislature appointing its losing candidates to the constitutional positions, of which State Treasurer is one. He noted this during the campaign and said that he would not seek the position, but ultimately did so. Independent GovernorJim Longley told media that he would do his "best" to work with Cooney and sought to make the State Treasurer and other elected positions appointive by the governor.[1]
Following his stint as State Treasurer, Cooney continued in a number of Maine governmental positions, including as Director of the Bureau of General Services, GovernorJoe Brennan’s Representative to theLoring Air Force Base Readjustment Committee and on GovernorJohn Baldacci's Base Readjustment Liaison in the Department of Redevelopment, Re-Employment, and Business Support regarding the closure of theBrunswick Naval Air Station.[2]
Cooney died on April 18,2020, at 76 years old.[3]
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| Preceded by | Treasurer of Maine 1976–1978 | Succeeded by |