Benny Rousselle
Encyclopedia
Benedict G. Rousselle, known as Benny Rousselle (born January 20, 1951), is a Realtor and a Democratic
politician
from Plaquemines Parish
in Greater New Orleans, Louisiana
.
From 1996 to 1999, Rousselle served District 105 in the Louisiana House of Representatives
, which then encompassed Jefferson
, Plaquemines, and Lafourche parishes
. From 1987-1994, he served on the Plaquemines Parish Council. After leaving the state House, Rousselle returned to the Plaquemines Parish government as its elected president from 1999 to 2007. He handily unseated incumbent parish president Clyde Giordano in the 1998 general election.
Rousselle graduated from Belle Chasse High School in Belle Chasse
in Plaquemines Parish. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of New Orleans
. He has been affiliated with the Plaquemines Parish Council on Aging and the Louisiana Association of Realtors. Rousselle is Roman Catholic.
Plaquemines Parish is adjacent to the Algiers
district (also known as Fifteenth Ward) of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina
struck Plaquemines Parish during Rousselle's second term as parish president. Katrina and related levee
failures resulted in almost all homes and businesses of Plaquemines Parish being catastrophically flooded. Belle Chasse, the parish seat and the location of the Naval Air Station and the Joint Reserve Base, was spared from flood destruction as it is flanked by the Mississippi River
on the northern and eastern sides and the Industrial Canal on the west side and naturally sits on high ground. Most had to evacuate permanently from their houses, and many remained for months in Federal Emergency Management Agency
trailers.
Rousselle blamed the national administration for the way it handled the aftermath of Katrina.
Other politicians who criticized the way the U.S. government handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were Mayor Ray Nagin
of New Orleaans and parish presidents Junior Rodriguez
from St. Bernard and Aaron Broussard
from Jefferson.
Rousselle was constitutionally ineligible for a third consecutive term as Plaquemines parish president.
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 6, 1990
State Representative, 105th Representative District, 1995
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 21, 1995
Second Ballot, November 18, 1995
Plaquemines Parish President, 1998
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 3, 1998
Plaquemines Parish President, 2002
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 5, 2002
Second Ballot, November 5, 2002
Louisiana Secretary of State : http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/
Plaquemines Parish: http://www.plaqueminesparish.com/
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Plaquemines Parish is the parish with the most combined land and water area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Pointe à la Hache...
in Greater New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
From 1996 to 1999, Rousselle served District 105 in the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
, which then encompassed Jefferson
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
, Plaquemines, and Lafourche parishes
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Lafourche Parish is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne. The parish seat is Thibodaux...
. From 1987-1994, he served on the Plaquemines Parish Council. After leaving the state House, Rousselle returned to the Plaquemines Parish government as its elected president from 1999 to 2007. He handily unseated incumbent parish president Clyde Giordano in the 1998 general election.
Rousselle graduated from Belle Chasse High School in Belle Chasse
Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Belle Chasse is a census-designated place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Belle Chasse is part of the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. The population was 9,848 at the 2000 census....
in Plaquemines Parish. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of New Orleans
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
. He has been affiliated with the Plaquemines Parish Council on Aging and the Louisiana Association of Realtors. Rousselle is Roman Catholic.
Plaquemines Parish is adjacent to the Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
district (also known as Fifteenth Ward) of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck Plaquemines Parish during Rousselle's second term as parish president. Katrina and related levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
failures resulted in almost all homes and businesses of Plaquemines Parish being catastrophically flooded. Belle Chasse, the parish seat and the location of the Naval Air Station and the Joint Reserve Base, was spared from flood destruction as it is flanked by the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
on the northern and eastern sides and the Industrial Canal on the west side and naturally sits on high ground. Most had to evacuate permanently from their houses, and many remained for months in Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
trailers.
Rousselle blamed the national administration for the way it handled the aftermath of Katrina.
Other politicians who criticized the way the U.S. government handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were Mayor Ray Nagin
Ray Nagin
Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area....
of New Orleaans and parish presidents Junior Rodriguez
Junior Rodriguez
Henry Rodriguez, Jr. is a local politician from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, in the Greater New Orleans area. He is of Isleño descent and is registered as an Independent. He served as Councilmember on the St. Bernard Parish Council from 1976 to 2004 and as President of the St. Bernard Parish...
from St. Bernard and Aaron Broussard
Aaron Broussard
Aaron F. Broussard was the president, a combined municipal-parish position, of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana from 2003 to 2010. A Democrat, Broussard is known nationally for appearances he made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina....
from Jefferson.
Rousselle was constitutionally ineligible for a third consecutive term as Plaquemines parish president.
Election History
Member of Parish Council, District 2, 1990Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 6, 1990
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 709 (65%) | Elected |
| Richie DiFebbo | Republican | 158 (15%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 221 (20%) | Defeated |
State Representative, 105th Representative District, 1995
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 21, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 2,985 (31%) | Runoff |
| Jerry Hodnett | Democratic | 2,551 (26%) | Runoff |
| Others | n.a. | 4,118 (43%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 18, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 5,111 (53%) | Elected |
| Jerry Hodnett | Democratic | 4,565 (47%) | Defeated |
Plaquemines Parish President, 1998
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 3, 1998
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 4,965 (61%) | Elected |
| Clyde Giordano | Democratic | 3,140 (39%) | Defeated |
Plaquemines Parish President, 2002
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 5, 2002
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 3,354 (39%) | Runoff |
| Clyde Giordano | Democratic | 2,518 (29%) | Runoff |
| Janice Acosta | Democratic | 2,163 (25%) | Defeated |
| Tyronne Edwards | Independent | 610 (7%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 5, 2002
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 5,430 (56%) | Elected |
| Clyde Giordano | Democratic | 4,310 (44%) | Defeated |
Sources
ThinkExist.com : http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/benny_rousselle/Louisiana Secretary of State : http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/
Plaquemines Parish: http://www.plaqueminesparish.com/