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→Franklin Parish Police Jury
In 1984, Baker established KPCH 99.3 FM [[radio]] outlet ("The Peach Station") in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], Louisiana. In 1987, he sold the company, which offered 1960s and 1970s oldies music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radiotime.com/station/s_34228/KPCH.aspx|title=KPCH Radio|publisher=radiotime.com|accessdate=January 29, 2009}}</ref>
In 1984, Baker established KPCH 99.3 FM [[radio]] outlet ("The Peach Station") in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], Louisiana. In 1987, he sold the company, which offered 1960s and 1970s oldies music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radiotime.com/station/s_34228/KPCH.aspx|title=KPCH Radio|publisher=radiotime.com|accessdate=January 29, 2009}}</ref>
==Franklin Parish Police Jury==
==Franklin Pariish Police Jury==
At the age of thirty-three, Baker was elected in 1968 as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] to the Franklin Parish Police Jury (equivalent of county commission]in other states). He won his primary by only nineteen votes. In February 1969, he switched to the Republican Party and set forth to build a competitive two-party system in his region and state, a goal for which there was no political infrastructure. While he was on the police jury, the body joined the 11-parish North Delta Economic Planning and Development Council. Baker served on this council during his single term on the jury.
At the age of thirty-three, Baker was elected in 1968 as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] to the Franklin Parish Police Jury (equivalent of county commission]in other states). He won his primary by only nineteen votes. In February 1969, he switched to the Republican Party and set forth to build a competitive two-party system in his region and state, a goal for which there was no political infrastructure. While he was on the police jury, the body joined the 11-parish North Delta Economic Planning and Development Council. Baker served on this council during his single term on the jury.
Long after his term had ended, Baker sought a comeback for the District 1 seat on the Franklin Parish Police Jury in the 1987 primary but finished out of the running with 24 percent of the ballots cast. Two Democrats instead advanced to the general election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/static/1987-10-24/resultsRace/21|title=Election Returns|date=October 24, 1987|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 5, 2018}}</ref>
Long after his term had ended, Baker sought a comeback for the District 1 seat on the Franklin Parish Police Jury in the 1987 primary but finished out of the running with 24 percent of the ballots cast. Two Democrats instead advanced to the general election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/static/1987-10-24/resultsRace/21|title=Election Returns|date=October 24, 1987|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 5, 2018}}</ref>
In the winter of 1971 to 1972, Baker ran for the state Senate against the 31-year-old Democratic nominee, James Harvey "Jim" Brown, a graduate of [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans]] and the father of [[television]] journalist Campbell Brown. At the time Brown was a politically ambitious lawyer in Ferriday in Concordia Parish, located along the [[Mississippi River]] across from Natchez, Mississippi. Besides Franklin and Concordia, the district included Catahoula and Tensas parishes. The outgoing senator was J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert of Sicily Island in Catahoula Parish. Gilbert ran successfully for the state House that year; after he left the legislature, he switched to Republican affiliation.
In the winter of 1971 to 1972, Baker ran for the state Senate against the 31-year-old Democratic nominee, James Harvey "Jim" Brown, a graduate of [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans]] and the father of [[television]] journalist Campbell Brown. At the time Brown was a politically ambitious lawyer in Ferriday in Concordia Parish, located along the [[Mississippi River]] across from Natchez, Mississippi. Besides Franklin and Concordia, the district included Catahoula and Tensas parishes. The outgoing senator was J. C. "Sonny" Gilbert of Sicily Island in Catahoula Parish. Gilbert ran successfully for the state House that year; after he left the legislature, he switched to Republican affiliation.
In 1979, Baker announced that he would challenge the Democrat Jerry Fowler] then a [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] businessman, in the race for elections commissioner. Fowler (born 1940) was seeking to succeed his ailing father, Douglas Fowler, the former Red River Parish clerk of court and one-time [[mayor]] of Coushatta. Fowler had been appointed to the post by [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], after Long had quarreled with Secretary of State Wade O. Martin, Jr., by procuring legislative consent to remove the elections office from the domain of the secretary of state. Douglas Fowler was then elected to his first full term in 1960 and then reelected with minimal opposition in 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976. (The primaries for the three latter elections were actually held late in 1967, 1971, and 1975.) To Louisiana voters, the name "Fowler" became synonymous with the management of elections – the two won a total of ten consecutive elections.
In 1979, Baker announced that he would challenge the Democrat Jerry Fowler] then a [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] businessman, in the race for elections commissioner. Fowler (born 1940) was seeking to succeed his ailing father, Douglas Fowler, the former Red River Parish clerk of court and one-time [[mayor]] of Coushatta. Fowler had been appointed to the post by [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], after Long had quarreled with Secretary of State Wade O. Martin, Jr., by procuring legislative consent to remove the elections office from the domain of the secretary of state. Douglas Fowler was then elected to his first full term in 1960 and then reelected with minimal opposition in 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976. (The primaries for the three latter elections were actually held late in 1967, 1971, and 1975.) To Louisiana voters, the name "Fowler" became synonymous with the management of elections – the two won a total of ten consecutive elections.
==="Abolish the office"===
==="Abolish the office"===
Baker ran for elections commissioner, basing his campaign on abolishing the "useless" office, which then had a salary of $37,400 per year, and returning its duties to the secretary of state, where they had been before Earl Long punished Martin, who had continued to be reelected secretary of state until his retirement in 1976.<ref>''[[Shreveport Journal]]'', October 11, 1969, p. 9D.</ref>
Baker ran for elections commissioner, basing his campaign on abolishing the "useless" office, which then had a salary of $37,400 per year, and returning its duties to the secretary of state, where they had been before Earl Long punished Martin, who had continued to be reelected secretary of state until his retirement in 1976.<ref>''[[Shreveport Journal]]'', October 11, 1969, p. 9D.</ref>