Michael F. Thompson

Michael Francis "Mike" Thompson​
Louisiana State Representative for Lafayette Parish (District 43)​
In office 1972​ – 1988​
Preceded by	Three members: O.C. "Dan" Guillot ​ Frederic G. Hayes ​ J. Luke LeBlanc​
Succeeded by	Odon L. "Don" Bacqué, Jr.​
Born	November 21, 1942 Place of birth missing ​
Political party	Democrat-turned-Republican (1978)​
Spouse(s)	(1) Missing​ (2) Cheryl Frey Thompson (married 1990)​
Residence	Lafayette, Louisiana, USA ​
Alma mater	Tulane University​ Tulane Law School​
Occupation	Home builder​; Attorney
Religion	Roman Catholic​

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​ Michael Francis Thompson, known as Mike Thompson (born November 21, 1942), is a home builder from Lafayette Louisiana, who served in his state's House of Representatives from 1972 to 1988.For his first six years in office,, Thompson was a Democrat, but he switched to the Republican Party for the balance of his tenure.

He was defeated in the 1987 general election by a "No Party" candidate, who served only one term. Thompson is particularly remembered for his strong support of the right-to-life. A Roman Catholic, he graduated from Tulane University Law School.

Supporting conservative causes

Thompson, along with House colleague Dan Richey of Ferriday, cast critical votes in the House Civil Law Committee against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment, which lost 5-9 in the committee and was therefore not referred to the full House for an up-or-down vote. Thompson's right-to-life supporters organized against the ERA on the premise that if implemented it would have federalized family law. Therefore, they convinced the lawmaker to reverse his previously stated support for the ERA. Lafayette has been a center of anti-abortion activism since the United States Supreme Court issued the Roe v. Wade opinion in January 1973, which legalized access to abortion.​

Certain Lafayette physicians signed a statement declaring that life begins before birth and vowed not to perform abortions, which remain relatively rare in Acadiana, in which French culture is paramount. The doctors said that, despite Roe, "we feel compelled to continue to practice our profession in accordance with our moral beliefs, central to which is the preservation of life."

In 2006, the Desormeaux Foundation, which funds a Lafayette crisis pregnancy center, honored three physicians at the forefront of the anti-abortion movement, as well as former Lafayette Republican Mayor Dudley Lastrapes, and Thompson.

In 1978, upon his switch to the Republican Party, Thompson was a candidate in Louisiana's since disbanded 7th congressional district]]. He polled 42,247 votes (32.6 percent) to the incumbent Democrat John Breaux's 78,297 (60.4 percent). A second Democrat, John W. "Johnny" Myers, held the remaining 7 percent of the ballots cast.​ ​

Unseated, 1987

​ From 1980-1988, Thompson was a colleague of Ron Gomez, a Lafayette Democrat in neighboring District 44 who ultimately switched parties but only after leaving the legislature. In his memoirs entitled,My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator, Gomez describes Thompson as his seat-mate, friend, and "chief mentor" who worked to get Gomez appointed to the Commerce and Ways and Means committees. In 1979, when Gomez won his first term in the House, Thompson prevailed by just over 800 votes against Democrat Mike Leblanc.​

In his last election contest in 1987, Thompson, the District 43 representative, was challenged by the No Party candidate, Odon L. "Don" Bacqué, Jr.​, and the Democrat, Vance Lanier. Thompson led in the October 24 nonpartisan blanket primary with 7,345 votes (45 percent) to Bacqué's 6,473 (40 percent) and Lanier's 2,377 (15 percent).In the November 21 general election, the Lanier backers swung strongly to Bacqué, who prevailed, 6,811 (57 percent) to Thompson's 5,106 ballots (43 percent). Thompson's defeat was also attributed to the failure of some 2,200 Republican voters who participated in the primary to return to the polls for the second round of balloting. The successful Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, Paul Hardy, won in Lafayette Parish over the Democratic incumbent Robert Freeman at the same time that Thompson was going down to defeat.​

Mike Thompson Homes

Thompson and his second wife, the former Cheryl Frey (born October 10, 1947), work together in their home construction business. They build homes throughout Acadiana, mostly in the French country. He is a past president of the Acadian Home Builders Association and was designated "Builder of the Year" in 1997. He is the treasurer and member of the board of directors of the Louisiana Home Builders Association.

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