Abromson was a Republican State Senator representing Falmouth, Long Island and part of Portland (District 27).
[1] When he died in January 2002, the Maine Lesbian Gay Political Alliance called Abromson a "champion and a true friend".
[2] His final day in the legislature was in December 2001, when he voted to confirm Leigh Saufley as the new Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
The Joel and Linda Abromson Community Education Center, which is located on the Portland campus of the University of Southern Maine, is named in their honor[3] At the time of Abromson's death from liver cancer, the Maine Senate was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, with one unenrolled (independent) senator as well.
His death gave the Democrats a 17–16 advantage, though Republican Rick Bennett maintained his position as President of the Maine Senate due to a power-sharing agreement.