Sam Little
Encyclopedia
Samuel Perry Little is a retired farmer
from Bastrop
, the seat of Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
, who is a Republican
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from District 14 in northeastern portion of his state.
in Natchitoches
and the University of Louisiana at Monroe
, then Northeast Louisiana University. He is a long-term director of the Louisiana and Morehouse Parish Farm Bureau Federation and the Morehouse Gin Company. He is a member of the Sparta Groundwater Conservation
District based in Simsboro
in Lincoln Parish
; he was appointed to the district by outgoing Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco for a term which expired on October 15, 2009.
A Bastrop native, Little has been married since 1971 to the former Pamela Doles (born 1954). The couple has two daughters, Christina and Clair. Little is an active member of Providence Church in Lake Providence
, the seat of East Carroll Parish
.
Buddy M. Quinn, a retired dentist
, also from Bastrop, by a margin of nine votes in the general election
held on November 17, 2007. Little polled 3,936 votes (50.06 percent) to Quinn's 3,927 (49.94 percent) for the right to succeed term-limited Representative Charles McDonald, a Democrat from Bastrop, which is included within the Monroe
standard metropolitan statistical area of northeast Louisiana. McDonald ran unsuccessfully for the Louisiana State Senate
in the October 20 nonpartisan blanket primary, having been defeated by another term-limited representative, Republican Mike Walsworth
of West Monroe
in Ouachita Parish.
Quinn won Morehouse Parish by 619 votes but trailed in Ouachita, West Carroll, and East Carroll, where portions of each parish are included in the district. Had the same number of voters who cast ballots in the attorney general
's race also participated in the state representative contest, Quinn could have easily prevailed over Little, considering the 2-1 margin for successful Attorney General
candidate Buddy Caldwell
of Madison Parish over the Republican Royal Alexander
of Shreveport
.
Little had trailed in the higher-turnout October 20 primary, having received 4,479 (35 percent) to Quinn's 5,262 (41 percent). A second Republican, Stanley J. "Stan" Neathery, also of Bastrop, received 3,187 ballots (25 percent). Little lost 543 votes between the primary and the general election, but Quinn's tabulation decreased by 1,335.
Little advertised on the radio program of the conservative talk show
host Moon Griffon
. After his election, he indicated that his first priority in office is ethics
reform. Governor Bobby Jindal
called a special session
of the legislature early in 2008 to address ethics reform. Little is pro-life
and a vocal supporter of the Second Amendment
to the United States Constitution
.
A Republican group ran a picture of Little superimposed next to Governor-elect Jindal. Quinn charged that the advertisement was "dirty politics" because Jindal endorsed no one in the legislative race, having instead said that he could work with either candidate. Walsworth had run a similar advertisement in his Senate race against McDonald.
Little serves on three House Committees: Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development; Natural Resources and Environment; Transportation, Highways, and Public Works.
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
from Bastrop
Bastrop, Louisiana
Bastrop is a city in and the parish seat of Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,988 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Bastrop, Louisiana Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Monroe-Bastrop, Louisiana Combined...
, the seat of Morehouse Parish, 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...
, who is 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 District 14 in northeastern portion of his state.
Background
Little attended both Northwestern State UniversityNorthwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
and the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
, then Northeast Louisiana University. He is a long-term director of the Louisiana and Morehouse Parish Farm Bureau Federation and the Morehouse Gin Company. He is a member of the Sparta Groundwater Conservation
Water conservation
Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.- Water conservation :Water conservation can be defined as:...
District based in Simsboro
Simsboro, Louisiana
Simsboro is a village in western Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Simsboro is located at ....
in Lincoln Parish
Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Lincoln Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Ruston. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 42,382...
; he was appointed to the district by outgoing Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco for a term which expired on October 15, 2009.
A Bastrop native, Little has been married since 1971 to the former Pamela Doles (born 1954). The couple has two daughters, Christina and Clair. Little is an active member of Providence Church in Lake Providence
Lake Providence, Louisiana
Lake Providence is a town in and the parish seat of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2000 census.-Civil War:...
, the seat of East Carroll Parish
East Carroll Parish, Louisiana
East Carroll Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Providence and as of 2010, the population was 7,759.-Law and government:In the 2004 presidential race, East Carroll gave the George W. Bush - Richard B...
.
Legislative matters
Little defeated DemocratDemocratic 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...
Buddy M. Quinn, a retired dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, also from Bastrop, by a margin of nine votes in the 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...
held on November 17, 2007. Little polled 3,936 votes (50.06 percent) to Quinn's 3,927 (49.94 percent) for the right to succeed term-limited Representative Charles McDonald, a Democrat from Bastrop, which is included within the Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
standard metropolitan statistical area of northeast Louisiana. McDonald ran unsuccessfully for 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...
in the October 20 nonpartisan blanket primary, having been defeated by another term-limited representative, Republican Mike Walsworth
Mike Walsworth
Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate, elected in the October 20, 2007 jungle primary. Prior to this he represented District 15 in the Louisiana House of Representatives until he was unable to seek reelection due to term limits...
of West Monroe
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in Ouachita Parish.
Quinn won Morehouse Parish by 619 votes but trailed in Ouachita, West Carroll, and East Carroll, where portions of each parish are included in the district. Had the same number of voters who cast ballots in the attorney general
Attorney 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 race also participated in the state representative contest, Quinn could have easily prevailed over Little, considering the 2-1 margin for successful Attorney General
Attorney 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...
candidate Buddy Caldwell
Buddy Caldwell
James David Caldwell, Sr., or Buddy Caldwell , is the Republican attorney general of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Prior to serving as attorney general, Caldwell was the district attorney for Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parishes from 1979 to 2008...
of Madison Parish over the Republican Royal Alexander
Royal Alexander
Richard Royal Alexander is an attorney from Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2007, he was the Republican-endorsed candidate for Louisiana Attorney General. A first-time candidate for public office, Alexander finished second to James D. "Buddy" Caldwell, a Democrat, in the nonpartisan blanket primary...
of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
.
Little had trailed in the higher-turnout October 20 primary, having received 4,479 (35 percent) to Quinn's 5,262 (41 percent). A second Republican, Stanley J. "Stan" Neathery, also of Bastrop, received 3,187 ballots (25 percent). Little lost 543 votes between the primary and the general election, but Quinn's tabulation decreased by 1,335.
Little advertised on the radio program of the conservative talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host Moon Griffon
Moon Griffon
Blane M. Griffon, known as Moon Griffon is a conservative radio talk show host who broadcasts statewide through station KMLB FM in Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana. He has sometimes been called the "Rush Limbaugh of Louisiana" though his program reflects his distinct...
. After his election, he indicated that his first priority in office is ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
reform. 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....
called a special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
of the legislature early in 2008 to address ethics reform. Little is pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
and a vocal supporter of the Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
A Republican group ran a picture of Little superimposed next to Governor-elect Jindal. Quinn charged that the advertisement was "dirty politics" because Jindal endorsed no one in the legislative race, having instead said that he could work with either candidate. Walsworth had run a similar advertisement in his Senate race against McDonald.
Little serves on three House Committees: Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development; Natural Resources and Environment; Transportation, Highways, and Public Works.