Jimmy Hayes
Encyclopedia
James Allison "Jimmy" Hayes (born December 21, 1946) is a Republican
politician
from the state
of Louisiana
.
Born in Lafayette
, Hayes graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
(then the University of Southwestern Louisiana). He served in the Louisiana Air National Guard
from 1968 to 1974. He was elected to the House of Representatives
as a Democrat
in 1986 for the seat vacated by John B. Breaux
, the candidate chosen to succeed the retiring U.S. Senator Russell B. Long
. Hayes defeated five opponents, including fellow Democrats Margaret Lowenthal of Lake Charles and James David Cain
of Dry Creek in Beauregard Parish, both of whom were state representatives
, and Republican educator David Thibodaux
(1953–2007) of Lafayette.
In 1990 Hayes again defeated David Thibodaux
. The tally was 103,308 (58 percent) for Hayes, 68,430 (38 percent) for Thibodaux, and 7,364 (4 percent) for Democrat Johnny Myers.
In 1992, Hayes defeated his own brother, Fredric Hayes, a Republican, with whom he had quarreled. Hayes received 84,149 (73 percent) to his brother's 23,870 (21 percent). A second Republican, Robert J. "Bob" Nain, polled 7,184 votes (6 percent).
In 1994 Hayes defeated a comeback bid by former Congressman Clyde C. Holloway
of Forest Hill
in Rapides Parish, Holloway's Louisiana's 8th congressional district
having been eliminated and dismembered after the 1990 United States Census. Hayes polled 72,424 votes (53 percent) to Holloway's 54,253 (40 percent). Another 7 percent of voters supported a candidate who ran as "no party." In that same election, Hayes' former rival, David Thibodaux, was first elected without opposition to the Lafayette Parish School Board.
Hayes left the Democrats on December 1, 1995, and joined the Republican Party. He was one of several conservative Democratic congressmen, mostly from the South, including Nathan Deal
of Georgia
, Mike Parker of Mississippi
, Greg Laughlin
of Texas
and fellow Louisianan Billy Tauzin
to switch to the Republican party around that time, as the Republicans had taken majorities in Congress in the 1994 elections. Hayes then ran for the United States Senate
in 1996. He finished fifth in the jungle primary
with almost 72,000 votes (6 percent). Republican Louis E. "Woody" Jenkins
of Baton Rouge and Democrat Mary Landrieu
of New Orleans then advanced to the tightly contested general election, which Landrieu narrowly won with ballots disputed by Republicans.
In 1997, when Hayes retired from the House after unsuccessfully running for the Senate, his House seat was taken by Democrat
Chris John
of Crowley
, the seat of Acadia Parish.
Hayes continues to be politically involved as a lobbyist. He also showed up, for example, at a December 2008 event to raise funds
for Republican U.S. Senator David Vitter
's reelection campaign.
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
.
Born in Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, Hayes graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
(then the University of Southwestern Louisiana). He served in the Louisiana Air National Guard
Louisiana Air National Guard
The Louisiana Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is, along with the Louisiana Army National Guard, an element of the Louisiana National Guard...
from 1968 to 1974. He was elected to the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as a 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...
in 1986 for the seat vacated by John B. Breaux
John Breaux
John Berlinger Breaux is a former United States senator from Louisiana who served from 1987 until 2005. He was also a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1972 to 1987. He was considered one of the more conservative national legislators from the Democratic Party...
, the candidate chosen to succeed the retiring U.S. Senator Russell B. Long
Russell B. Long
Russell Billiu Long was an American Democratic politician and United States Senator from Louisiana from 1948 until 1987.-Early life:...
. Hayes defeated five opponents, including fellow Democrats Margaret Lowenthal of Lake Charles and James David Cain
James David Cain
James David Cain, Sr. is a retired farmer and rancher from the Dry Creek community in eastern Beauregard Parish, who is a former Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate....
of Dry Creek in Beauregard Parish, both of whom were state representatives
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
, and Republican educator David Thibodaux
David Thibodaux
David Glenn Thibodaux was for twenty-seven years an English professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a member and officer of the Lafayette Parish School Board for twelve years, and a four-time Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana's 7th...
(1953–2007) of Lafayette.
In 1990 Hayes again defeated David Thibodaux
David Thibodaux
David Glenn Thibodaux was for twenty-seven years an English professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a member and officer of the Lafayette Parish School Board for twelve years, and a four-time Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana's 7th...
. The tally was 103,308 (58 percent) for Hayes, 68,430 (38 percent) for Thibodaux, and 7,364 (4 percent) for Democrat Johnny Myers.
In 1992, Hayes defeated his own brother, Fredric Hayes, a Republican, with whom he had quarreled. Hayes received 84,149 (73 percent) to his brother's 23,870 (21 percent). A second Republican, Robert J. "Bob" Nain, polled 7,184 votes (6 percent).
In 1994 Hayes defeated a comeback bid by former Congressman Clyde C. Holloway
Clyde C. Holloway
Clyde Cecil Holloway is an American small business owner from Forest Hill in the southern part of Rapides Parish who is one of five members of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He also served as a conservative Republican member of the U.S...
of Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Louisiana
Forest Hill is a village in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Forest Hill is located at ....
in Rapides Parish, Holloway's Louisiana's 8th congressional district
Louisiana's 8th congressional district
Louisiana's 8th congressional district is a defunct Congressional district and no longer exists after Louisiana lost its eighth Congressional seat in the 1990 U. S. Census. For its entire existence, it was based in Alexandria and included much of the north-central part of the state.-List of...
having been eliminated and dismembered after the 1990 United States Census. Hayes polled 72,424 votes (53 percent) to Holloway's 54,253 (40 percent). Another 7 percent of voters supported a candidate who ran as "no party." In that same election, Hayes' former rival, David Thibodaux, was first elected without opposition to the Lafayette Parish School Board.
Hayes left the Democrats on December 1, 1995, and joined the Republican Party. He was one of several conservative Democratic congressmen, mostly from the South, including Nathan Deal
Nathan Deal
John Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Mike Parker of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Greg Laughlin
Greg Laughlin
Gregory H. "Greg" Laughlin is a politician from the state of Texas. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives....
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and fellow Louisianan Billy Tauzin
Billy Tauzin
Wilbert Joseph Tauzin II , usually known as Billy Tauzin, American lobbyist and politician of Cajun descent, was President and CEO of PhRMA, a pharmaceutical company lobby group...
to switch to the Republican party around that time, as the Republicans had taken majorities in Congress in the 1994 elections. Hayes then ran 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...
in 1996. He finished fifth in 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...
with almost 72,000 votes (6 percent). Republican Louis E. "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 Democrat 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 advanced to the tightly contested general election, which Landrieu narrowly won with ballots disputed by Republicans.
In 1997, when Hayes retired from the House after unsuccessfully running for the Senate, his House seat was taken 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...
Chris John
Chris John
Christopher Charles "Chris" John is American politician who was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2005, representing Louisiana's 7th congressional district.-Early life:...
of Crowley
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for...
, the seat of Acadia Parish.
Hayes continues to be politically involved as a lobbyist. He also showed up, for example, at a December 2008 event to raise funds
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
for Republican U.S. Senator David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
's reelection campaign.