Michel H. Claudet is the current President

President

A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

 of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...

. Elected in 2007, he is the only 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...

 to be elected President of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...

, and the sixth person elected as "Parish President" of the combined City of Houma

Houma, Louisiana

Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...

 and Terrebonne Parish

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...

 government. An attorney

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...

, business

Business

A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...

man, CPA

Certified Public Accountant

Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...

 and CLU, Claudet had never before held political office.

Early years and education

Claudet was born in Lockport

Lockport, Louisiana

Lockport is a town on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,624 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

. He graduated high school in 1966 from Holy Savior Central High School in Lockport. After graduation, he chose 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...

 as his college, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree in 1970 allowing him to take the test to be certified as a CPA

Certified Public Accountant

Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...

. While working full-time as a CPA, he went on to further his education and graduated in 1977 from Loyola Law School

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is a private law school in New Orleans, Louisiana affiliated with Loyola University New Orleans. Loyola's law school opened in 1914 and is now located on the Broadway Campus of the University in the historic Audubon Park District of the city. The College...

 with a Juris Doctorate

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...

.

The election of 2007

Claudet announced his candidacy for Parish President in August of 2007 with his "New Way" campaign. After months of campaigning, he faced off against Sheriff Jerry Larpenter, Former Parish President Barry Bonvillain, Businessman Mike Fesi II and Solid Waste Director Eulin Guidry in the October 20 primary election. No candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast, Claudet (31%) and Larpenter (37%) were elected to go against each other in a run off election.

On November 17, voters went back to the polls and chose the political newcomer, Claudet (53%) over the popular incumbent Sheriff, Larpenter (47%) in what was considered to be a major political upset.

Hurricane Gustav

During the final days of August 2008, Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Gustav

The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....

 entered the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

. Claudet issued a State of Emergency

State of emergency

A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...

 declaration on August 28 and called for a mandatory evacuation

Emergency evacuation

Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...

 of Terrebonne Parish. The category 2 storm made landfall at 10:30 a.m. on September 1 over Cocodrie, Louisiana. The parish of Terrebonne and the surrounding areas suffered extensive and damaging winds leading to the destruction of property which rendered much of the region without power. Less than 24 hours after Gustav’s landfall, Claudet told Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal

Bobby Jindal

Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....

, U.S. Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff

Michael Chertoff

Michael Chertoff was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush and co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He previously served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as assistant U.S. Attorney...

 and other federal and state officials that he was incapable of managing the response to Gustav. The next day Claudet ceeded power to Sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

, Vernon Bourgeois, placing him in full control of the parish’s recovery efforts.

2011 campaign for re-election

Claudet announced in November 2010 that he intends to seek re-election in October 2011. Other candidates who have entered the race thus far include: Parish Council Chairman Clayton Voisin, Former Parish President Barry Bonvillain, business owner Mike Fesi Sr., and Herdis Neil, a cattle rancher from Dulac, LA.

Electoral History

2007 Race for Terrebonne Parish President – Primary

Voters to choose one:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Barry P. Bonvillain, Dem.	5,620	20%	Defeated
Michel H. Claudet, Rep.	8,731	31%	Runoff
Michael Fesi II, Rep.	2,326	8%	Defeated
Eulin Guidry, Rep.	1,013	4%	Defeated
Jerry J. Larpenter, Dem.	10,395	37%	Runoff

2007 Race for Terrebonne Parish President – Runoff

Voters to choose one:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Michel H. Claudet, Rep.	11,629	53%	Elected
Jerry J. Larpenter, Dem.	10,344	47%	Defeated