Earl Long
| Earl Kemp Long | |
 | |
| In office June 26, 1939 – May 14, 1940 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Webster Leche |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Sam Houston Jones |
| In office May 11, 1948 – May 13, 1952 | |
| Preceded by | Jimmie Davis |
| Succeeded by | Robert F. Kennon |
| In office May 8, 1956 – May 10, 1960 | |
| Preceded by | Robert F. Kennon |
| Succeeded by | Jimmie H. Davis |
38th Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
| |
| In office May 12, 1936 – June 26, 1939 | |
| Preceded by | James Albert Noe, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Isaac Coleman Lindsey |
| Born | August 26, 1895 Winnfield, Louisiana. |
| Died | September 5, 1960 (aged 65) Alexandria, Louisiana |
| Resting place | Earl K. Long Memorial Park in Winnfield |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Blanche Long (married 1932-1960, his death) |
| Relations | Huey Long (brother) Congressman George S. Long (brother) |
| Children | No children |
| Alma mater | Louisiana State University Loyola University New Orleans College of Law |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Religion | Southern Baptist |
Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was a flamboyant politician from his native Louisiana who called himself the "Last of the Red Hot Poppas of Politics," a reference to his determined push to win elections with no stone left unturned. He was the younger brother of Huey Pierce Long, Jr., and the uncle of U.S. Senator Russell Long.
The year after his brother's assassination in Baton Rouge, Long served as lieutenant governor from 1936 to 1939, when he succeeded to the governorship upon the resignation of the scandal-plagued Richard Leche of New Orleans. He defeated his fellow Democrat Clement M. Moss in the race for lieutenant governor. He lost the 1940 Democratic runoff primary for a full term by Sam Houston Jones, a fellow lawyer from Lake Charles. In 1944, Long again ran for lieutenant governor but lost the nomination to Jimmie Davis' chosen candidate, J. Emile Verret of Iberia Parish. In 1948, Long rebounded to defeat Sam Jones a second time, as both sought comebacks for governor, and the margin was decisive. His lieutenant governor in the first full term was Bill Dodd, with whom he had a love-hate relationship over their years in politics. In 1956, Long returned to the governorship with a large victory over fellow Democrat deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison, Sr., the mayor of New Orleans from 1946 to 1961, and several other contenders who received few votes.
In 1959, Long again ran for lieutenant governor on a ticket with former interim Governor James A. Noe of Monroe but lost out to fellow Democrat Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915-1987), a conservative from Franklin in St. Mary Parish. Dodd was running in that same election for governor. Jimmie Davis, meanwhile, reclaimed a second nonconsecutive term as governor from 1960 to 1964. Later in the summer of 1960, Long ran for Louisiana's 8th congressional district seat, since disbanded. He won a tight victory over fellow Democrat Harold Barnett McSween (1926-2002). When Long died of heart failure in Alexandria on election night after knowing of his victory, the Democratic Party named McSween as the party's nominee in the general election held on November 8, 1960.
Long is interred at Earl K. Long Memorial Park in Winnfield. He was estranged from his wife, Blanche Revere Long, at the time of his death, and she is not buried in Winnfield. In 1963, Blanche Long was a prime mover behind the successful gubernatorial candidacy that year of John J. McKeithen, a public service commissioner from Caldwell Parish and a long-term ally of the Longs. McKeithn defeated former Mayor Morrison and former Governor Kennon for the party nomination and then turned aside a stronger-than-usual Republican bid for governor waged by Charlton Lyons, a Shreveport oilman.
