Chuck McMains
Encyclopedia
Francis Charles "Chuck" McMains, Jr. (born October 14, 1948), is a Baton Rouge attorney
and businessman who was a Republican
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from 1992–2001, having represented District 69 (East Baton Rouge Parish). In 1996, McMains made an unsuccessful race for the United States Senate
seat being vacated by Democrat
J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.
He was born in Baton Rouge to Dr. and Mrs. Frank McMains, Sr. He graduated in 1966 from University High School
in Baton Rouge. He procured a bachelor of arts
degree from Louisiana State University
in 1970 and a Juris Doctor
in 1973 from the University of Virginia
at Charlottesville
. He also holds Certified Life Underwriter designation in the life insurance
field.
McMains is a former chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana, vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and a past chairman of the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce
. He is a past president of the Baton Rouge Symphony
and Public Radio of Baton Rouge. He also holds membership in Rotary International
and the Louisiana Council for Fiscal Reform. He has been chairman of the Civil Justice Reform Committee of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
. He is a lobbyist for ICF International, a high-powered global professional services firm, as well as American Express, the Property and Casualty Insurance Association of America, ATT and the US Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform, among others.
McMains entered the jungle primary
on October 19, 1991, against four opponents seeking to succeed the retiring State Representative Edward Clark Gaudin
, the first Republican legislator from East Baton Rouge Parish since Reconstruction. McMains led the primary balloting with 4,600 votes (38 percent). Fellow Republican James "Jim" Talbot finished second with 3,729 ballots (31 percent); in third place was Republican Jefferson "Jeff" Angers, with 2,908 ballots (24 percent). Only 7 percent of voters in the heavily Republican 69th District voted Democratic, with their ballots split among two minor candidates.
In the second balloting on November 16, 1991, McMains defeated Talbot, 7,015 (53 percent) to 6,314 (47 percent). McMains was reelected in the 1995 primary with 10,502 votes (87 percent) to the Democrat Tommy L. Reese's 1,524 ballots (13 percent). McMains was unopposed for his third term in 1999.
A conservative reform legislator, McMains became the House floor leader for Republican Governor
Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.
In that role, McMains championed a comprehensive legislative package attacking abuses in Louisiana's civil justice system. Among other measures, his bills repealed punitive damages, strict liability and joint and several liability. He also authored a comprehensive revision of Louisiana's class action articles and eliminated litigation instituted by Mayor Marc Morial's New Orleans administration attempting to severely curtail citizens' Second Amendment rights to bear arms. McMains was also heavily involved in "Progress Louisiana," Foster's effort to replace Mike Francis
as the chair of the state's Republican State Central Committee. McMains briefly served as chair of the party himself in 2000. McMains resigned from the legislature midway through his third term in the summer of 2001 to join the law firm of Jones Walker in its Baton Rouge office. McMains and Foster supported David Boneno, a member of the Baton Rouge metro council, as McMains' successor. Boneno, however, was defeated by Gary J. Beard
, who ran on an anti-tax platform and also enjoyed the support of the Louisiana Christian Coalition.
In the U.S. Senate election held on September 21, 1996, McMains polled 45,164 votes (4 percent) in a 15-candidate field. The top two votegetters, Republican Woody Jenkins
of Baton Rouge and Mary Landrieu
of New Orleans then competed in the November general election. Landrieu emerged as the narrow but disputed winner.
McMains is married to the former Mary Lynn Coit. He is Methodist.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and businessman who was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of 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...
from 1992–2001, having represented District 69 (East Baton Rouge Parish). In 1996, McMains made an unsuccessful race for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat being vacated by Democrat
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...
J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.
He was born in Baton Rouge to Dr. and Mrs. Frank McMains, Sr. He graduated in 1966 from University High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Baton Rouge. He procured 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 Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in 1970 and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1973 from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
at Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. He also holds Certified Life Underwriter designation in the life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
field.
McMains is a former chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana, vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and a past chairman of the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. He is a past president of the Baton Rouge Symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
and Public Radio of Baton Rouge. He also holds membership in Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
and the Louisiana Council for Fiscal Reform. He has been chairman of the Civil Justice Reform Committee of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, known by the acronym LABI, is the largest and most successful business lobbying group in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was founded in Baton Rouge in 1976, when Louisiana adopted a new right-to-work law during the administration of Democratic...
. He is a lobbyist for ICF International, a high-powered global professional services firm, as well as American Express, the Property and Casualty Insurance Association of America, ATT and the US Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform, among others.
McMains entered the jungle primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
on October 19, 1991, against four opponents seeking to succeed the retiring State Representative Edward Clark Gaudin
Clark Gaudin
Edward Clark Gaudin is a Baton Rouge attorney who served for twenty-one years in the Louisiana House of Representatives as the first Republican member from East Baton Rouge Parish in the 20th century....
, the first Republican legislator from East Baton Rouge Parish since Reconstruction. McMains led the primary balloting with 4,600 votes (38 percent). Fellow Republican James "Jim" Talbot finished second with 3,729 ballots (31 percent); in third place was Republican Jefferson "Jeff" Angers, with 2,908 ballots (24 percent). Only 7 percent of voters in the heavily Republican 69th District voted Democratic, with their ballots split among two minor candidates.
In the second balloting on November 16, 1991, McMains defeated Talbot, 7,015 (53 percent) to 6,314 (47 percent). McMains was reelected in the 1995 primary with 10,502 votes (87 percent) to the Democrat Tommy L. Reese's 1,524 ballots (13 percent). McMains was unopposed for his third term in 1999.
A conservative reform legislator, McMains became the House floor leader for Republican Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.
Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr. served as 53rd Governor of Louisiana from January 1996 until January 2004. Foster's father was Murphy J. Foster, Jr., but Mike Foster uses "Jr." even though he is technically Murphy J. Foster, III. Foster is a businessman, landowner, and sportsman in St...
In that role, McMains championed a comprehensive legislative package attacking abuses in Louisiana's civil justice system. Among other measures, his bills repealed punitive damages, strict liability and joint and several liability. He also authored a comprehensive revision of Louisiana's class action articles and eliminated litigation instituted by Mayor Marc Morial's New Orleans administration attempting to severely curtail citizens' Second Amendment rights to bear arms. McMains was also heavily involved in "Progress Louisiana," Foster's effort to replace Mike Francis
Mike Francis
Michael Gordon Francis, known as Mike Francis , is a prominent Crowley businessman who was the chairman of the Republican Party in Louisiana from 1994–2000. A staunch fiscal and social conservative, Francis was an unsuccessful candidate for Secretary of State of Louisiana in a special election held...
as the chair of the state's Republican State Central Committee. McMains briefly served as chair of the party himself in 2000. McMains resigned from the legislature midway through his third term in the summer of 2001 to join the law firm of Jones Walker in its Baton Rouge office. McMains and Foster supported David Boneno, a member of the Baton Rouge metro council, as McMains' successor. Boneno, however, was defeated by Gary J. Beard
Gary Beard
Gary James Beard is a former conservative Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from East Baton Rouge Parish who was handily defeated in his bid for lieutenant governor in the jungle primary held on October 20, 2007. Beard ran third in the race with 130,935...
, who ran on an anti-tax platform and also enjoyed the support of the Louisiana Christian Coalition.
In the U.S. Senate election held on September 21, 1996, McMains polled 45,164 votes (4 percent) in a 15-candidate field. The top two votegetters, Republican Woody Jenkins
Woody Jenkins
Louis Elwood "Woody" Jenkins is a newspaper editor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972–2000 and waged three unsuccessful races for the United States Senate....
of Baton Rouge and Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
of New Orleans then competed in the November general election. Landrieu emerged as the narrow but disputed winner.
McMains is married to the former Mary Lynn Coit. He is Methodist.