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On March 2, 1936, at the age of sixty, Thomas was elected to the first of two two-year terms as mayor of Minden. He polled 736 votes (51.9 percent) to incumbent Henry Bridges' 682 (48.1 percent).<ref>"David W. Thomas Elected Mayor", ''Minden Herald'', March 3, 1936, p. 1.</ref>  As mayor under the former commission government, since replaced by the single-member district mayor-council format, Thomas pressed for paving all major streets. An amateur architect, Thomas designed the former Minden Community House in Victory Park,<ref name=agan/> but the original structure has long been superseded by modern building.

On March 2, 1936, at the age of sixty, Thomas was elected to the first of two two-year terms as mayor of Minden. He polled 736 votes (51.9 percent) to incumbent Henry Bridges' 682 (48.1 percent).<ref>"David W. Thomas Elected Mayor", ''Minden Herald'', March 3, 1936, p. 1.</ref>  As mayor under the former commission government, since replaced by the single-member district mayor-council format, Thomas pressed for paving all major streets. An amateur architect, Thomas designed the former Minden Community House in Victory Park,<ref name=agan/> but the original structure has long been superseded by modern building.

During Thomas's second term, to which he was elected without opposition in 1938,<ref>"Heavy Ballot Is Cast in Primary Election Tuesday", ''Minden Herald'', April 8, 1938, p. 3.</ref> controversy arose over the sale of [[alcohol]]ic beverages. The city had allowed such sales when the [[21st Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]] was adopted in December 1933. In the fall of 1938, a local option] election was held to decide whether Minden would impose [[prohibition]] at the municipal level. The city was voted dry effective January 1, 1939. The prohibition issue may have ruined Thomas politically, for he finished in third place in the 1940 primary election. The ultimate winner, attorney [[Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.]], served through November 1942, when he resigned to enter military service during [[World War II]].<ref name=agan/> Thomas unsuccessfully challenged Culbertson in the 1942 election and then ran in the 1946 Democratic primary, in which he finished a weak third, with the contest being won in a runoff] on May 7 by John T. David.<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 10, 1946, p. 1.</ref>

During Thomas's second term, to which he was elected without opposition in 1938,<ref>"Heavy Ballot Is Cast in Primary Election Tuesday", ''Minden Herald'', April 8, 1938, p. 3.</ref> controversy arose over the sale of [[alcohol]]ic beverages. The city had allowed such sales when the [[21st Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]] was adopted in December 1933. In the fall of 1938, a local option] election was held to decide whether Minden would impose [[prohibition]] at the municipal level. The city was voted dry effective January 1, 1939. The prohibition issue may have ruined Thomas politically, for he finished in third place in the 1940 primary election. The ultimate winner, attorney [[Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.]], served through November 1942, when he resigned to enter military service during [[World War II]].<ref name=agan/> Thomas unsuccessfully challenged Culbertson in the 1942 election and then ran in the 1946 Democratic primary, in which he finished a weak third, with the contest being won in a runoff] on May 7 by [[John T. David]].<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 10, 1946, p. 1.</ref>

In 1950, Thomas and Culbertson, who had returned to Minden from military service, were opposing lawyers in a legal dispute over a $196 debt deemed collectible to the [[plaintiff]] by City Judge R. Harmon Drew, Sr. The case was appealed unsuccessfully to Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in [[Shreveport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/brown-v-harvey|title=''Brown v. Harvey''|publisher=casetext.com|date=April 5, 1950|accessdate=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>The $196 debt dispute seems like a small claim today, but in 1950, it would have been the equivalent of three or four house payments for a middle-class family.</ref>

In 1950, Thomas and Culbertson, who had returned to Minden from military service, were opposing lawyers in a legal dispute over a $196 debt deemed collectible to the [[plaintiff]] by City Judge R. Harmon Drew, Sr. The case was appealed unsuccessfully to Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in [[Shreveport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/brown-v-harvey|title=''Brown v. Harvey''|publisher=casetext.com|date=April 5, 1950|accessdate=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>The $196 debt dispute seems like a small claim today, but in 1950, it would have been the equivalent of three or four house payments for a middle-class family.</ref>

Thomas remained active in local Democratic politics. From 1948 until his death, he served as the Webster Parish attorney for the inheritance collector and maintained his own law practice.<ref name=agan/> In 1954, Thomas ran a weak third in the race for Minden city judge, a position vacated by the incumbent R. Harmon Drew, Sr. Cecil C. Lowe defeated Alton Eugene Frazier (1922-2001) in a runoff election for the judgeship.<ref>"Lowe Leads in Judge Race", ''Minden Herald'', July 30, 1954, p. 1.</ref>

Thomas remained active in local Democratic politics. From 1948 until his death, he served as the Webster Parish attorney for the inheritance collector and maintained his own law practice.<ref name=agan/> In 1954, Thomas ran a weak third in the race for Minden city judge, a position vacated by the incumbent R. Harmon Drew, Sr. Cecil C. Lowe defeated Alton Eugene Frazier (1922-2001) in a runoff election for the judgeship.<ref>"Lowe Leads in Judge Race", ''Minden Herald'', July 30, 1954, p. 1.</ref>

Thomas was not the first Minden mayor to have a background in journalism; so did W. Jasper Blackburn, who served as a Democrat from 1855 to 1856. Blackburn became a [[Republican Party|Republican]] during the [[American Civil War]] and served briefly in the [[United States House of Representatives]] and the Louisiana State Senate.<ref>John A. Agan, "Profile 2007: MPH story goes back more than 150 years," ''Minden Press-Herald'', undated 2007.</ref>J. Frank Colbert, a former state representative who served as mayor from 1944 to 1946, also had newspaper experience. Connell Fort waso a newspaperman during much of his working career. Twenty-six years after Thomas left the office of mayor, still another former newspaperman, Tom Colten, became the city's first of thus far three Republican mayors.

Thomas was not the first Minden mayor to have a background in journalism; so did W. Jasper Blackburn, who served as a Democrat from 1855 to 1856. Blackburn became a [[Republican Party|Republican]] during the [[American Civil War]] and served briefly in the [[United States House of Representatives]] and the Louisiana State Senate.<ref>John A. Agan, "Profile 2007: MPH story goes back more than 150 years," ''Minden Press-Herald'', undated 2007.</ref>J. Frank Colbert, a former state representative who served as mayor from 1944 to 1946, also had newspaper experience. Connell Fort was alsop newspaperman during much of his working career. Twenty-six years after Thomas left the office of mayor, still another former newspaperman, Tom Colten, became the city's first of thus far three Republican mayors.

==Personal life and death==

==Personal life and death==