SOUTH PORTLAND – Former state Rep. Harold Macomber of South Portland died Saturday after a brief illness.

Macomber, 78, was a Democrat who served in the Legislature for 12 years, part of that time as House chairman of the Transportation Committee.

U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, who served with Macomber in the Legislature, remembered his “strong commitment to his family and constituents.”

“Harold’s focus on transportation and related economic development issues stands out in my mind as I think back on his years in Augusta,” Baldacci said in a prepared statement released Monday.