J. Michael "Mike" Lenihan (August 30, 1943 – February 28, 2015) was an American politician. From

East Greenwich, Rhode Island East Greenwich is a New England town, town and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island, Kent County, Rhode Island. The population was 14,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within ...

, Lenihan received his bachelor's degree from

Rhode Island College Rhode Island College (RIC) is a public college in Rhode Island, United States, with much of the land in Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, and other parts in North Providence, Rhode Island, North Providence. The college was established in 18 ...

and his master's degree from

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

. Lenihan served in the Rhode Island State Senate from 1990 to 2010 and was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

. He died of cancer in East Greenwich, Rhode Island at the age of 71. An excerpt of his ''East Greenwich News'' obituary read as follows, “As a strong and respected voice in the chamber, Senator Lenihan had served as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, chair of the Senate Committee on Government Oversight, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Rules, and was a member of the Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture. ... Lenihan championed public access to online legislation, and legislation on separation of powers, open meetings, vendor disclosure, public access to public records, and improvements in the governance of quasi-public commissions, public officials accountability, state contracts with employee leasing companies, as well as issues affecting Narragansett Bay, to name just a few.”

References

1943 births 2015 deaths People from East Greenwich, Rhode Island Politicians from Kent County, Rhode Island Brown University alumni Rhode Island College alumni Democratic Party Rhode Island state senators 20th-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly 21st-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly {{RhodeIsland-politician-stub