Leighton Cooney

Who is Leighton Cooney?

H. Leighton Cooney is a Maine politician and retired schoolteacher. Cooney, a Democrat, served three terms in the Maine House of Representatives. In 1976. Cooney ran against incumbent William Cohen in Maine's 2nd Congressional District and received 19.7% of the vote in a loss. He was subsequently elected by the Maine Legislature to serve as State Treasurer of Maine until 1978, when he was replaced by Jerrold Speers.

Cooney earned a B.A. from Lake Forest College and represented Sabattus, Maine in the Maine House of Representatives from 1970-1976, where he eventually served as Chair of the State Government Committee.

Cooney was rumored to be a frontrunner for the position of State 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 Governor Jim 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.