Joseph Eugene Kernan (April 8, 1946 – July 29, 2020) was an American businessman and former politician. He served as the 48th Governor of Indiana from 2003 to 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Kernan served as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and then as the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1997 to 2003. He lost an election to serve a full term as governor to Mitch Daniels on November 2, 2004.