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Linda Bean, businesswoman and politician, dies at 82

Linda Bean (left) and former Gov. Paul LePage (right) pose for a photo with a friend at a campaign rally held by Eric Trump for his father, President Donald Trump, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Saco, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP file
Linda Bean (left) and former Gov. Paul LePage (right) pose for a photo with a friend at a campaign rally held by Eric Trump for his father, President Donald Trump, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Saco, Maine.

Linda Bean has died. A granddaughter of L.L.Bean's founder, she served on the board of the family company, but built her own businesses too.

And Bean got into Republican politics.

"We are the party of individual freedom, constitutional government and, if we can't stand for those constitutional principles, we lose; we lose every time," Bean said in 2008, arguing for selection as a GOP National Committeewoman.

She ran twice for Congress, but lost each race.

Gov. Janet Mills said she was saddened to learn of Bean's passing. Mills took note of Bean's philanthropy, contributing to "the arts, to land conservation, LifeFlight of Maine, and efforts to restore Port Clyde after a fire there last September."

"Linda Bean loved the state of Maine. My heart goes out to her sons and other family members," U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine wrote.

Linda Bean was 82 years old.