Ned Randolph
Encyclopedia
Edward Gordon "Ned" Randolph, Jr. (born February 1, 1942), is a veteran Democratic
politician who served as the mayor
of Alexandria
in central Louisiana
from 1986 to 2006. Randolph was also a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from 1972 to 1976 and the Louisiana State Senate
from 1976 to 1984. In 1982 and 1992, Randolph was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives
, having lost to the incumbents Gillis William Long
of Alexandria and Richard H. Baker of Baton Rouge, respectively.
, the seat of Grant Parish north of Alexandria. He graduated from Bolton High School
in the Garden District of Alexandria in 1960 and from Princeton University
in New Jersey
in 1964. Thereafter, he obtained his law degree from Tulane University
in New Orleans. He began practicing law in Alexandria but quickly entered elective politics.
John Hampton "Hamp" Smith (August 26, 1937 – May 17, 2005), Randolph polled 71.4 percent of the general election vote to 28.6 percent for Republican
P. C. "Clyde" Connell, Jr., an educator unrelated to the Louisiana artist Clyde Connell
. In the legislature, Randolph compiled a record of seeking to bring state funding and projects to central Louisiana, a previously neglected part of the state.
In 1975, he ran for the District 29 state Senate seat and unseated the 14-year incumbent, Cecil R. Blair
, a fellow Democrat from Lecompte
in south Rapides Parish, in the first nonpartisan blanket primary held in Louisiana.
In 1976, as a new state senator, he and then State Representative John W. "Jock" Scott
, a fellow Alexandria attorney and Randolph's successor in the state House, led the successful Rapides Parish campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter
. A quiet, introspective man, Randolph learned how to get things done for his district during his two terms in the state senate.
star Deidre Hall
of NBC
's Days of our Lives
, whom he was dating at the time after the breakup of his first marriage.
In 1983, Randolph was unseated in the primary for reelection to the state senate by fellow Democrat William Joseph "Joe" McPherson, Jr.
, then of Pineville
, across the Red River from Alexandria and later from Woodworth
in south Rapides Parish. McPherson, who was elected to the state senate again in 2007, was supported by both Congressman Long and Governor Edwin Washington Edwards, who was making a successful bid in that same election for a third term in the governor's office.
Randolph's defeat is considered to have been a fallout from the gubernatorial fight between Edwards and Republican Governor David C. Treen
. Other Treen allies in the Democratic Party also lost their seats, including Daniel Wesley Richey
of Ferriday
.
In the primary, Randolph led with 13,501 votes (38.4 percent) to McPherson's 11,032 (31.4 percent). Former Senator Cecil Blair polled 6,096 votes (17.4 percent), and Alexandria Mayor John Kenneth Snyder, Sr.
, in the second year of his second mayoral term, received 4,496 (12.8 percent). In the runoff — officially the Louisiana general election
- McPherson, who had the backing of Gillis Long and Edwin Edwards, won, 16,360 votes (53.9 percent) to Randolph's 13,973 (46.1 percent). Turnout was nearly five thousand less in the runoff than in the primary, a fact that may have worked against incumbent Randolph. With two consecutive defeats, Randolph's political career seemed on the ropes.
, who finished with only 5 percent of the vote. In the four subsequent elections, Randolph won in the primaries and did not have to face an opponent in a general election.
On the day of his inauguration, December 1, 1986, the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
reported that the theme of the event was "We're proud again. Our pride is back." Nationally syndicated radio host Paul Harvey
told the nation that Alexandria was back on a "positive" path.
The city is governed by a mayor-council form of government established in a new charter drafted in the middle 1970s. Curiously, Randolph's first wife, Sanna Randolph, was a member of the city charter commission that created the job description that he exercised for twenty years.
Alexandria's population shifted from a barely white city to a 55 percent black majority during Randolph's tenure. He worked closely with African American community leaders, and many supported him in his mayoral campaigns. Randolph also had a close working relationship with Clarence R. Fields, the black mayor of predominantly white Pineville.
of Randolph's own Rapides Parish. Holloway led in the jungle primary
, 52,012 (37 percent). Baker was second with 46,990 votes (33 percent). Randolph finished a close third with 42,819 ballots (30 percent).
In the general election, Baker defeated Holloway by 2,728 votes even though Holloway polled majorities in fifteen of the seventeen parishes in the district. A majority of Randolph's supporters were believed to have gone to Baker. Turnout in the congressional general election, which accompanied the Clinton-Bush presidential contest, was 245,178, nearly double the 141,821 votes cast in the primary.
Randolph succeeded the controversial Snyder, who patterned his politics after the late Earl Kemp Long, after he ultimately checked himself into a mental health facility.
"Thank God Ned chose to run," said Glen Earnest Beard, the Alexandria police chief from 1983 until 1991. "When he was elected, it was like a breath of fresh air." At one point, Snyder even seized Beard's police car. Randolph later named Darren Coutee as the first black police chief.
"I think one of the biggest things was that people were somewhat embarrassed to say they were from Alexandria," said Deborah Ann Randolph (born 1957), the mayor's third wife, in reference to the Snyder administration. Snyder had also served an earlier term from 1973 to 1977, under the former commission form of city government. He was defeated for reelection under the mayor-council charter in 1977.
By 1987, there were public relations campaigns "to try to make people feel good again about themselves and about Alexandria," said Mrs. Randolph. A former city council member, Marion Chaney, who works for an Alexandria architect
ural firm, said, "It was time for a change" by 1986. "I wouldn't say Alexandria was a laughing stock, but it definitely needed a change."
Snyder's erratic personality was so volatile that he was subject to say nearly anything about anybody at any time. Even powerful Governor Edwards was said to fear Snyder's unpredictability.
When Randolph was sworn in, Alexandria faced budget deficits and potential city employee layoffs. In the 20 years since Randolph assumed the office, Alexandria landed a tank car plant, completed the Riverfront Center, opened a performing arts center, and improved its drainage system. However, the city was hurt by the closing of the former England Air Force Base
and a city police strike in the 1990s.
A decade after he became mayor, Randolph also ran unsuccessfully for a state judgeship.
Randolph said that his "worst day" in office came early in 2003, when two young police officers, David C. Ezernack and Jeremy E. "Jay" Carruth, were shot to death in the line of duty.
In 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
, Randolph dismissed three city officials, including Darrell Kilyun Williamson, a longtime friend and a defeated Republican candidate in 1984 for the same U.S. House seat that Randolph had twice failed to win himself. Williamson is also a former staff member of the Rapides Area Planning Commission. The officials each won a $25,000 settlement from the city.
's Office. He and wife Deborah, who have been married since 1994, still reside in Alexandria. He has two children from his first marriage to Sanna Randolph: Sanna Aimee Randolph (born 1970) and journalist
Edward G. "Ned" Randolph, III, (born 1971), with the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. Randolph is also the stepfather of Deborah's son Matthew Dunn (born 1986), a student at Louisiana State University
.
On February 2, 2008, Randolph and his former congressional rival, Richard Baker, were among several individuals inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
in Winnfield
.
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 who served as the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
in central 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 1986 to 2006. Randolph was also a 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 1972 to 1976 and the Louisiana State Senate
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 1976 to 1984. In 1982 and 1992, Randolph was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States 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...
, having lost to the incumbents Gillis William Long
Gillis William Long
Gillis William Long was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana and member of the Long family. Long served seven non-consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives but placed third in two campaigns for the Democratic gubernatorial nominations in 1963 and 1971...
of Alexandria and Richard H. Baker of Baton Rouge, respectively.
Early years
Randolph was born in Alexandria to Edward G. Randolph, Sr. (1911–1996), and the former Edith Beatrice Harrison (1910–2005). He was reared mostly in ColfaxColfax, Louisiana
Colfax is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town, founded in 1869, is named for the vice president of the United States, Schuyler M. Colfax , who served in the first term of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, for whom the parish is named. Colfax is part of...
, the seat of Grant Parish north of Alexandria. He graduated from Bolton High School
Bolton High School (Louisiana)
Bolton High School is a secondary educational institution located in the Garden District of Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city in central Louisiana. The school is named for its benefactor, James W...
in the Garden District of Alexandria in 1960 and from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1964. Thereafter, he obtained his law degree from Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans. He began practicing law in Alexandria but quickly entered elective politics.
Legislative service, 1972-1984
In 1972, Randolph was elected to the position of state representative for newly established single-member District 26. After he secured the Democratic nomination over a field that included Alexandria restaurateurRestaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
John Hampton "Hamp" Smith (August 26, 1937 – May 17, 2005), Randolph polled 71.4 percent of the general election vote to 28.6 percent for 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...
P. C. "Clyde" Connell, Jr., an educator unrelated to the Louisiana artist Clyde Connell
Clyde Connell
Clyde Connell was an American female abstract impressionist sculptor.-Life:She grew up in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana, who lived and worked in a cabin at Lake Bistineau during her later years....
. In the legislature, Randolph compiled a record of seeking to bring state funding and projects to central Louisiana, a previously neglected part of the state.
In 1975, he ran for the District 29 state Senate seat and unseated the 14-year incumbent, Cecil R. Blair
Cecil R. Blair
Cecil Ray Blair was a Rapides Parish farmer and businessman who was a Democratic member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952 to 1956...
, a fellow Democrat from Lecompte
Lecompte, Louisiana
Lecompte is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,366 at the 2000 census....
in south Rapides Parish, in the first nonpartisan blanket primary held in Louisiana.
In 1976, as a new state senator, he and then State Representative John W. "Jock" Scott
Jock Scott
John Wyeth "Jock" Scott, II was a lawyer and college professor in Alexandria, who served three terms from District 26 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, first as a Democrat and then as a Republican . He was defeated in a race for the Louisiana State Senate in 1987...
, a fellow Alexandria attorney and Randolph's successor in the state House, led the successful Rapides Parish campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. A quiet, introspective man, Randolph learned how to get things done for his district during his two terms in the state senate.
Randolph's political challenges
In 1982, Randolph challenged U.S. Representative Gillis Long of the since defunct Eighth Congressional District. Long prevailed with 71,103 ballots (59.6 percent), to Randolph's 46,656 votes (39.1 percent), (A minor candidate polled 1.3 percent.) In that campaign, Randolph made appearances with popular soap-operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
star Deidre Hall
Deidre Hall
Deidre Ann Hall is a dramatic American actress best known for her portrayal of Dr. Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama Days of our Lives, which she played for over 29 years, and is to return to the role this summer. The character is considered an icon to the soap, and has been experienced some of...
of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, whom he was dating at the time after the breakup of his first marriage.
In 1983, Randolph was unseated in the primary for reelection to the state senate by fellow Democrat William Joseph "Joe" McPherson, Jr.
Joe McPherson
William Joseph "Joe" McPherson, Jr., is a retiring veteran Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from Woodworth, a small community south of Alexandria, Louisiana, the seat of government of Rapides Parish and the largest city in the Central Louisiana region...
, then of Pineville
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
, across the Red River from Alexandria and later from Woodworth
Woodworth, Louisiana
Woodworth is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,080 at the 2000 census....
in south Rapides Parish. McPherson, who was elected to the state senate again in 2007, was supported by both Congressman Long and Governor Edwin Washington Edwards, who was making a successful bid in that same election for a third term in the governor's office.
Randolph's defeat is considered to have been a fallout from the gubernatorial fight between Edwards and Republican Governor David C. Treen
David C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
. Other Treen allies in the Democratic Party also lost their seats, including Daniel Wesley Richey
Dan Richey
Daniel Wesley "Dan" Richey is a Baton Rouge-based political consultant for "pro-family" candidates and organizations, including Louisiana Family Forum. From 1997 to 2004, Richey served under appointment of Republican Governor Murphy J...
of Ferriday
Ferriday, Louisiana
Ferriday is a town in Concordia Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population, which is three-fourths African American, was 3,723 at the 2000 census....
.
In the primary, Randolph led with 13,501 votes (38.4 percent) to McPherson's 11,032 (31.4 percent). Former Senator Cecil Blair polled 6,096 votes (17.4 percent), and Alexandria Mayor John Kenneth Snyder, Sr.
John K. Snyder
John Kenneth Snyder, Sr., sometimes known as Tillie Snyder , was a colorful, outspoken Democratic mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana, from 1973–1977 and again from 1982-1986....
, in the second year of his second mayoral term, received 4,496 (12.8 percent). In the runoff — officially the Louisiana general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
- McPherson, who had the backing of Gillis Long and Edwin Edwards, won, 16,360 votes (53.9 percent) to Randolph's 13,973 (46.1 percent). Turnout was nearly five thousand less in the runoff than in the primary, a fact that may have worked against incumbent Randolph. With two consecutive defeats, Randolph's political career seemed on the ropes.
Elected mayor of his hometown, 1986
Yet, in 1986, Randolph launched a successful political comeback. He won the first of his five consecutive terms as mayor of Alexandria. He defeated eight candidates outright in the primary with a margin of 52.5 percent of the vote. One of those contenders was former Mayor Carroll E. LanierCarroll E. Lanier
Carroll Edwin Lanier is a former Democratic mayor of Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city in central Louisiana. Lanier served a special 5.5-year term from June 1977 to December 1982. He was the first mayor under the current mayor-council form of municipal government, which...
, who finished with only 5 percent of the vote. In the four subsequent elections, Randolph won in the primaries and did not have to face an opponent in a general election.
On the day of his inauguration, December 1, 1986, the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
The Town Talk (Alexandria)
The Town Talk, started as The Daily Town Talk in 1883 and later named the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, is the major newspaper of Central Louisiana. It is published by Gannett in Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the economic center of Central Louisiana.The daily newspaper has a circulation...
reported that the theme of the event was "We're proud again. Our pride is back." Nationally syndicated radio host Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
told the nation that Alexandria was back on a "positive" path.
The city is governed by a mayor-council form of government established in a new charter drafted in the middle 1970s. Curiously, Randolph's first wife, Sanna Randolph, was a member of the city charter commission that created the job description that he exercised for twenty years.
Alexandria's population shifted from a barely white city to a 55 percent black majority during Randolph's tenure. He worked closely with African American community leaders, and many supported him in his mayoral campaigns. Randolph also had a close working relationship with Clarence R. Fields, the black mayor of predominantly white Pineville.
Second bid for Congress, 1992
In 1992, just five years into his mayoral service, Randolph was again attracted by the lure of Congress. When the Eighth Congressional District was disbanded, Alexandria was temporarily placed in a new Sixth District, which included populous East Baton Rouge Parish. Randolph ran as the lone Democrat for the seat. Two Republican congressmen ran against each other, Richard Baker and Clyde C. HollowayClyde 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 Randolph's own Rapides Parish. Holloway led 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...
, 52,012 (37 percent). Baker was second with 46,990 votes (33 percent). Randolph finished a close third with 42,819 ballots (30 percent).
In the general election, Baker defeated Holloway by 2,728 votes even though Holloway polled majorities in fifteen of the seventeen parishes in the district. A majority of Randolph's supporters were believed to have gone to Baker. Turnout in the congressional general election, which accompanied the Clinton-Bush presidential contest, was 245,178, nearly double the 141,821 votes cast in the primary.
Randolph's legacy as mayor
Randolph announced on April 3, 2006, that he would not seek a sixth term. The Alexandria Daily Town Talk, his hometown newspaper, said that his 20-year leadership had lifted "the city's esteem and changed its direction."Randolph succeeded the controversial Snyder, who patterned his politics after the late Earl Kemp Long, after he ultimately checked himself into a mental health facility.
"Thank God Ned chose to run," said Glen Earnest Beard, the Alexandria police chief from 1983 until 1991. "When he was elected, it was like a breath of fresh air." At one point, Snyder even seized Beard's police car. Randolph later named Darren Coutee as the first black police chief.
"I think one of the biggest things was that people were somewhat embarrassed to say they were from Alexandria," said Deborah Ann Randolph (born 1957), the mayor's third wife, in reference to the Snyder administration. Snyder had also served an earlier term from 1973 to 1977, under the former commission form of city government. He was defeated for reelection under the mayor-council charter in 1977.
By 1987, there were public relations campaigns "to try to make people feel good again about themselves and about Alexandria," said Mrs. Randolph. A former city council member, Marion Chaney, who works for an Alexandria architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
ural firm, said, "It was time for a change" by 1986. "I wouldn't say Alexandria was a laughing stock, but it definitely needed a change."
Snyder's erratic personality was so volatile that he was subject to say nearly anything about anybody at any time. Even powerful Governor Edwards was said to fear Snyder's unpredictability.
When Randolph was sworn in, Alexandria faced budget deficits and potential city employee layoffs. In the 20 years since Randolph assumed the office, Alexandria landed a tank car plant, completed the Riverfront Center, opened a performing arts center, and improved its drainage system. However, the city was hurt by the closing of the former England Air Force Base
England Air Force Base
England Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Louisiana, located Northwest of Alexandria and about Northwest of New Orleans....
and a city police strike in the 1990s.
A decade after he became mayor, Randolph also ran unsuccessfully for a state judgeship.
Randolph said that his "worst day" in office came early in 2003, when two young police officers, David C. Ezernack and Jeremy E. "Jay" Carruth, were shot to death in the line of duty.
In 2005, in the aftermath of 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...
, Randolph dismissed three city officials, including Darrell Kilyun Williamson, a longtime friend and a defeated Republican candidate in 1984 for the same U.S. House seat that Randolph had twice failed to win himself. Williamson is also a former staff member of the Rapides Area Planning Commission. The officials each won a $25,000 settlement from the city.
Currently
The semi-retired Randolph practices law and serves as the Central Louisiana representative for the state Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
's Office. He and wife Deborah, who have been married since 1994, still reside in Alexandria. He has two children from his first marriage to Sanna Randolph: Sanna Aimee Randolph (born 1970) and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Edward G. "Ned" Randolph, III, (born 1971), with the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. Randolph is also the stepfather of Deborah's son Matthew Dunn (born 1986), a student at 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...
.
On February 2, 2008, Randolph and his former congressional rival, Richard Baker, were among several individuals inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield, Louisiana, highlights the careers of more than a hundred of the state’s leading politicians and political journalists. Because three governors, Huey P. Long, Jr., Oscar K...
in Winnfield
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
.