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The former Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, who led her state during the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. She was 76 years old.
Governor John Bel Edwards' office confirmed the death of Blanco. She was fighting a rare form of cancer that had spread to her liver.
The Democrat who worked in state government offices for more than two decades had announced in December 2017 that she was being treated for her incurable melanoma. "I had an extraordinarily fulfilled life," she said in her announcement of her terminal state. A fervent Catholic, Blanco thanked the people of Louisiana for their "constant love" during his years in the public service and called it "honor and blessing" to direct the people of Louisiana. State when responding to Katrina and Hurricane Rita a few weeks later.
Blanco was the first woman to hold the position of governor of Louisiana; she took office in 2004. Her career was largely defined by Katrina 20 months later, in August 2005. The storm devastated New Orleans and resulted in over 1,400 deaths and thousands of displaced people.
Local leaders, as well as Blanco, were criticized for what was considered an unprepared and inadequate response. She blamed most of the blame while images of flooded streets and people on rooftops were in the news all over the world.
She added that the situation had been aggravated by a Republican-led White House seeking to blame its failures in disaster response.
The former governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, seen here in 2007, died Sunday at 76 years old. (AP Photo / Bill Haber, File)
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"I did not know at the time that there was an intentional blockage in Washington," said Blanco in an interview with USA Today Network in 2015. "I felt that I had to ask more times than it would not have been necessary.
"Katrina certainly left her mark and Rita left her mark on Louisiana, but it made us tougher and made us stronger," said the former governor last July.
Her political career never resumed and she decided not to run for a second term.
"She was a woman of constant faith and unconditional love for her family, Louisiana and her servants," Edwards said Sunday in front of First Lady Donna Edwards, as reported in the News Star newspaper. "Louisiana lost a champion, Donna and I lost a friend."
Former high school teacher, Blanco spent 24 years in the presidency, particularly in state politics, without making waves. She first served at the State House in 1984 and was eventually lieutenant governor from 1996 to 2004 before being elected governor.
She was also the first woman to serve on the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
Former Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco addressed a press conference in the presence of Governor Bobby Jindal in June 2009. (AP Photo / Bill Haber, File)
She dropped out of the governors' race of 1991 but successfully led a campaign in 2003 to defeat the then burgeoning Republican star, Bobby Jindal, who was Republican governor of the state after Blanco.
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She has received praise for raising the salaries of public school teachers during her tenure, while her supporters said she ran a government without corruption.
In his last few months, Blanco said he felt "blessed of God" and said that it was "a wonderful time for me, even if it is of a kind Countdown. "
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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