Youth Coalition for Muskie

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Edmund Muskie was a representative, the 64th governor, and a senator for the state of Maine spanning from 1946 to 1980. Muskie’s legislative work embodied “modern liberalism” as he supported environmental movements and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Muskie was seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for the 1972 United States presidential election. Despite polling better than future President Richard Nixon, Muskie’s campaign for the Democratic nomination took a hit after the Canuck letter. The letter revealed Muskie held negative sentiments towards French-Canadian people, though the Canuck letter was ultimately deemed a forgery orchestrated by the Nixon campaign. During the 1976 election, Muskie was considered for President Jimmy Carter’s vice president but was passed over for Walter Mondale. After the resignation of Cyrus Vance, Muskie became the 58th Secretary of State in 1980. President Carter awarded Muskie the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981 for Muskie’s leadership during the Iran hostage crisis. The state of Maine has honored Muskie with a public holiday since 1987. Muskie passed away March 26, 1996 from heart failure at the age of 81.