Republican Party of Louisiana
Encyclopedia
The Republican Party of Louisiana is the U.S. state of Louisiana's
organization of the national Republican Party
. The state chairman is Roger F. Villere, Jr.
, a businessman from Metairie
in Jefferson Parish
.
The party has shown in recent decades the resurgence characteristic of other southern Republican state parties. From the Reconstruction era to the early 1950s, no Republican won a single electoral
vote in any Louisiana presidential election; however, the state went for Republican presidential candidate Dwight David Eisenhower in 1956, the first of nine Republican presidential victories in the state among the 14 presidential campaigns from 1956 to 2008 inclusive. Louisiana's U.S. House delegation has overall had a Republican tilt since the 1990s, and party membership has incrementally increased in both houses of the Louisiana legislature as well as in other political offices around the state. Republicans have held the Louisiana governorship most of the time since election of David C. Treen
to that office in 1979, no Republican having been elected governor prior to 1979 since William Pitt Kellogg during the Reconstruction era. Charlton Lyons
had made the first serious Republican gubernatorial campaign in 1964 and drew a then record 37.5 percent of the general election vote.
Another major breakthrough occurred in 2004 when David Vitter
, a U.S. representative, became Louisiana's first Republican to be elected United States Senator since the Reconstruction era. As of 2009 the Republican Party holds most of the statewide offices, besides governor Bobby Jindal
to include secretary of state Jay Dardenne
, state treasurer John N. Kennedy
, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, and insurance commissioner Jim Donelon
. A milestone of sorts was achieved in 2009 when election of Republican former U.S. Representative Clyde C. Holloway
to the Louisiana Public Service Commission
(PSC), which regulates utility companies, gave that body its first-ever Republican majority.
The Republican Party of Louisiana is represented by its State Central Committee, which is established in the Louisiana Election Code, essentially Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (LRS). LRS Title 18 also provides for the Parish Executive Committee within each civil parish (county). Both committees are elected by party members in public elections set by law. Although not naming the parties, the Louisiana Election Code describes them in terms of requirements to be counted among the "recognized political parties." Besides the Republican Party, the only other party which routinely meets these requirements is the Democratic Party. Within each civil parish a representative of each recognized party's Parish Executive Committee serves on the Parish Board of Election Supervisors.
The State Central Committee attempts to coordinate the efforts of the Parish Executive Committees and many other organizations which comprise the modern Republican Party 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...
organization of the national Republican Party
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...
. The state chairman is Roger F. Villere, Jr.
Roger F. Villere, Jr.
Roger Francis Villere, Jr. is a businessman from Metairie in Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans who on March 26, 2004, was elected state chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party by the 144-member GOP State Central Committee. He succeeded Pat Brister of St...
, a businessman from Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
in Jefferson Parish
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....
.
The party has shown in recent decades the resurgence characteristic of other southern Republican state parties. From the Reconstruction era to the early 1950s, no Republican won a single electoral
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
vote in any Louisiana presidential election; however, the state went for Republican presidential candidate Dwight David Eisenhower in 1956, the first of nine Republican presidential victories in the state among the 14 presidential campaigns from 1956 to 2008 inclusive. Louisiana's U.S. House delegation has overall had a Republican tilt since the 1990s, and party membership has incrementally increased in both houses of the Louisiana legislature as well as in other political offices around the state. Republicans have held the Louisiana governorship most of the time since election of 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...
to that office in 1979, no Republican having been elected governor prior to 1979 since William Pitt Kellogg during the Reconstruction era. Charlton Lyons
Charlton Lyons
Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., also known as Big Papa Lyons , was a Shreveport oilman who in 1964 waged the first determined Republican bid for the Louisiana governorship since Reconstruction. Lyons also made a strong but losing bid for the United States House of Representatives in a special election...
had made the first serious Republican gubernatorial campaign in 1964 and drew a then record 37.5 percent of the general election vote.
Another major breakthrough occurred in 2004 when 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...
, a U.S. representative, became Louisiana's first Republican to be elected United States Senator since the Reconstruction era. As of 2009 the Republican Party holds most of the statewide offices, besides 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....
to include secretary of state Jay Dardenne
Jay Dardenne
John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...
, state treasurer John N. Kennedy
John N. Kennedy
John Neely Kennedy is the Republican state treasurer of Louisiana. He was re-elected without opposition to his fourth term as State Treasurer on September 8, 2011.-Early life and career:...
, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, and insurance commissioner Jim Donelon
Jim Donelon
James J. "Jim" Donelon has been the Republican insurance commissioner of Louisiana since February 15, 2006.Donelon won a full-term as commissioner in the October 20, 2007 nonpartisan blanket primary. He finished with 606,534 votes and defeated three opponents, the closest of whom, Democrat Jim...
. A milestone of sorts was achieved in 2009 when election of Republican former U.S. Representative 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...
to the Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
(PSC), which regulates utility companies, gave that body its first-ever Republican majority.
The Republican Party of Louisiana is represented by its State Central Committee, which is established in the Louisiana Election Code, essentially Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (LRS). LRS Title 18 also provides for the Parish Executive Committee within each civil parish (county). Both committees are elected by party members in public elections set by law. Although not naming the parties, the Louisiana Election Code describes them in terms of requirements to be counted among the "recognized political parties." Besides the Republican Party, the only other party which routinely meets these requirements is the Democratic Party. Within each civil parish a representative of each recognized party's Parish Executive Committee serves on the Parish Board of Election Supervisors.
The State Central Committee attempts to coordinate the efforts of the Parish Executive Committees and many other organizations which comprise the modern Republican Party of Louisiana.
Current elected officials
The Republican Party of Louisiana controls six of the seven statewide constitutional offices and holds a majority in the Louisiana House of Representatives. The party also holds one of the state's U.S. Senate seats and six of the seven U.S. House seats.U.S. House of Representatives
- Steve ScaliseSteve ScaliseStephen Joseph "Steve" Scalise is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. He is a member of the Republican Party...
, 1st DistrictLouisiana's 1st congressional districtLouisiana's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district comprises mostly land on the North Shore and South Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, although it also contains areas west of Lake Pontchartrain. The district includes some or all of the... - Jeff LandryJeff LandryJeffrey Martin "Jeff" Landry is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and military service:...
, 3rd DistrictLouisiana's 3rd congressional districtLouisiana's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district surrounds the southern tier of the Greater New Orleans Area. The district contains large portions of southeastern and south central Louisiana, including River Parishes and East Acadiana... - John FlemingJohn FlemingJohn Fleming was a judge in Cumberland County, Virginia who served in the Virginia House of Burgesses for more than a decade, working with John Robinson and Peyton Randolph. In 1764, he worked with Patrick Henry, George Johnston and Robert Munford on the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions...
, 4th DistrictLouisiana's 4th congressional districtLouisiana's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district is located in the northwestern part of the state and is based in Shreveport-Bossier City. It also includes the cities of Minden, DeRidder, and Natchitoches.The district is currently... - Rodney AlexanderRodney AlexanderRodney McKinnie Alexander is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state...
, 5th DistrictLouisiana's 5th congressional districtLouisiana's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district covers most of the northeastern and central portions of the state and contains the cities of Monroe and Alexandria and stretches as far south as Iberville Parish in southern Louisiana.The... - Bill CassidyBill CassidyWilliam "Bill" Cassidy is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
, 6th DistrictLouisiana's 6th congressional districtLouisiana's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located in south-central Louisiana, the district contains the state capital of Baton Rouge and its suburbs and the western half of the Florida Parishes and areas west and south of Baton Rouge... - Charles BoustanyCharles BoustanyCharles William Boustany, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and medical career:...
, 7th DistrictLouisiana's 7th congressional districtLouisiana's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana located in the southwestern part of the state. It contains the cities of Crowley, Eunice, Jennings, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Sulphur and Ville Platte....
Statewide offices
- Governor: Bobby JindalBobby JindalPiyush "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....
- Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of LouisianaThe Office of Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current Lieutenant Governor is Jay Dardenne, a Republican...
: Jay DardenneJay DardenneJohn Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state... - Secretary of StateSecretary of State of LouisianaThe Secretary of State of Louisiana is one of the elected constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The position was created by Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution.The current Secretary of State is Tom Schedler....
: Tom SchedlerTom SchedlerJohn Thomas Schedler, known as Tom Schedler , is a politician from suburban St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, USA, who served as the District 11 Louisiana state senator from 1996 to 2008, when he was term-limited after twelve years... - TreasurerTreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
: John Neely Kennedy - Commissioner of Agriculture & Forestry: Mike Strain
- Insurance CommissionerInsurance commissionerInsurance commissioner is an executive office in many U.S. states, some in the state cabinet. The office differs state by state:...
: Jim DonelonJim DonelonJames J. "Jim" Donelon has been the Republican insurance commissioner of Louisiana since February 15, 2006.Donelon won a full-term as commissioner in the October 20, 2007 nonpartisan blanket primary. He finished with 606,534 votes and defeated three opponents, the closest of whom, Democrat Jim...