Louie Bernard
| Louis Chesley "Louie" Bernard | |
 | |
Louisiana State Senator for
District 31 (then Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, and Winn parishes, since redistricted to includeportions of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, Webster, and Winn parishes) | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Gerald Long |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Alan Seabaugh |
| Born | November 6, 1951 Natchitoches, Louisiana |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Gayle Haworth Bernard |
| Children | Three children Four grandchildren |
| Alma mater | Northwestern State University |
| Occupation | Former Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court |
Louis Chesley Bernard, known as Louie Bernard (born November 6, 1951), is the Republican retiring state senator for District 31 in Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, and Winn parishes in north Louisiana. The district lies between Shreveport and Alexandria. For twenty-four years previously, Bernard was the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court.
With 18,529 votes (55 percent), Bernard defeated two fellow Republicans, Trey Flynn and Douglas Brown. Flynn polled 8,596 votes (26 percent); Brown, 6,381 (19 percent). The turnout of registered voters was 53.1 percent.[1] Bernard succeeded Gerald Long (born 1944), a Moderate Republican who was term-limited. Bernard is a graduate of Northwestern State University in his native Natchitoches. He is married to the former Gayle Haworth, and the couple has three children. He has long been a member of the First United Methodist Church of Natchitoches.[2]
Bernard said he expects to develop "a process to plan and approve a State budget without staring every year over what has come to be called, the ‘Fiscal Cliff.’ It is irresponsible to continue with temporary fixes to a permanent and systemic problem. I will be the first to tell you that I don’t have the ‘magic’ answer to this and other issues we face. I will tell you that I will bring a common-sense style of addressing those issues and, more importantly, I will work with anyone who is ready to roll up their sleeves to help Louisiana fix them once and for all."[2]
Bernard did not seek reelection in District 31 and will be succeeded in January 2024 by the conservative Alan Seabaugh, a Shreveport attorney.
References
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Louie Bernard Announces Candidacy for State Senate in 2019 election. Natchitoches Parish Journal (January 30, 2018). Retrieved on December 3, 2019.
