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Spooner hoped to poll convincing majorities in urban areas of the district to offset expected losses in rural regions, where voting Republican was still comparatively rare at the time except for the presidential level on occasion. He aimed particularly at winning in his own Monroe and West Monroe as well as Natchitoches, [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], Bastrop, and Winnfield. The [[general election]] turnout was more than double that of the Passman-Huckaby race because, while Huckaby and Spooner sought the House seat, in the same November 2 election, [[Jimmy Carter]] and the unelected incumbent, [[Gerald Ford]], were the nominees for U.S. President.<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 349.</ref>​

Spooner hoped to poll convincing majorities in urban areas of the district to offset expected losses in rural regions, where voting Republican was still comparatively rare at the time except for the presidential level on occasion. He aimed particularly at winning in his own Monroe and West Monroe as well as Natchitoches, [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], Bastrop, and Winnfield. The [[general election]] turnout was more than double that of the Passman-Huckaby race because, while Huckaby and Spooner sought the House seat, in the same November 2 election, [[Jimmy Carter]] and the unelected incumbent, [[Gerald Ford]], were the nominees for U.S. President.<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 349.</ref>​

After his primary defeat, Passman "threatened" to endorse Spooner in the general election but never did so. Passman had run mostly without opposition after his initial primary victory in 1946, when he had unseated Charles Edgar McKenzie (1896-1956). He was unopposed in his last successful general election on November 5, 1974. Passman was particularly known as a critic of [[foreign aid]] programs and a supporter of farm subsidies and the recently concluded Vietnam War.<ref>''Louisiana History'', pp. 334, 337, 343.</ref>​

After his primary defeat, Passman "threatened" to endorse Spooner in the general election but never did so. Passman had run mostly without opposition after his initial primary victory in 1946, when he had unseated Charles Edgar McKenzie (1896-1956). He was unopposed in his last successful general election on November 5, 1974. Passman was particularly known as a critic of foreign aid and a supporter of farm subsidies and the recently concluded Vietnam War.<ref>''Louisiana History'', pp. 334, 337, 343.</ref>​

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Carter's statewide victory in Louisiana (and in nine other former [[Confederate States of American|Confederate]] states) worked to Huckaby's advantage. Huckaby received 83,696 votes (52.5 percent); Spooner, 75,574 ballots (47.5 percent). Spooner surpassed Passman's primary showing by 35,000 votes, which translated only into a 0.2 percent gain over Passman's primary share of the vote because of the much larger turnout in the general election. Spooner polled 59 percent in Ouachita Parish and also won in the parishes of Lincoln (Ruston), Morehouse (Bastrop), Union (Farmerville]], and Richland (Rayville), but his strength was insufficient to overcome large Democratic margins stretching from Huckaby's Bienville Parish on the west to Madison Parish (Tallulah) on the northeast, Concordia (Vidalia) on the southeast, and the most northern precincts of Rapides Parish ([[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]]) on the south. Spooner received just 27 percent in Bienville Parish and less than 40 percent in Madison and Winn parishes, the latter the ancestral home of the [[Huey Long|Long]] political faction.<ref>Office of the Louisiana Secretary of State, Congressional Election Returns, 1976</ref><ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 349.</ref>​

Carter's statewide victory in Louisiana (and in nine other former [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] states) worked to Huckaby's advantage. Huckaby received 83,696 votes (52.5 percent); Spooner, 75,574 ballots (47.5 percent). Spooner surpassed Passman's primary showing by 35,000 votes, which translated only into a 0.2 percent gain over Passman's primary share of the vote because of the much larger turnout in the general election. Spooner polled 59 percent in Ouachita Parish and also won in the parishes of Lincoln (Ruston), Morehouse (Bastrop), Union (Farmerville]], and Richland (Rayville), but his strength was insufficient to overcome large Democratic margins stretching from Huckaby's Bienville Parish on the west to Madison Parish (Tallulah) on the northeast, Concordia (Vidalia) on the southeast, and the most northern precincts of Rapides Parish ([[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]]) on the south. Spooner received just 27 percent in Bienville Parish and less than 40 percent in Madison and Winn parishes, the latter the ancestral home of the [[Huey Long|Long]] political faction.<ref>Office of the Louisiana Secretary of State, Congressional Election Returns, 1976</ref><ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 349.</ref>​

==Later political activities==​

==Later political activities==​

Over the years, Spooner has supported former Governor [[Bobby Jindal]], former U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]], elected as Breaux's successor in 2004, and former U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander, who held the seat that Spooner contested from 2003 to 2013, by which time the district had expanded far south into Rapides and Avoyelles parishes and even into the Florida Parishes east of Baton Rouge. In 2004, Spooner contributed to Alexander's unsuccessful intraparty rival, former State Representative John Wyeth "Jock" Scott (1947-2009) of Alexandria.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/elec/elec-MONROE-LA.html|title=Monroe, Louisiana (LA) Political Contributions by Individuals|publisher=city-data.com|accessdate=September 17, 2013}}</ref> In 2007, Spooner donated to the presidential campaign of former Governor [[Mike Huckabee]] of Arkansas because he wanted a candidate with executive experience.<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 353.</ref> ​

Over the years, Spooner has supported former Governor [[Bobby Jindal]], former U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]], elected as Breaux's successor in 2004, and former U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander, who held the seat that Spooner contested from 2003 to 2013, by which time the district had expanded far south into Rapides and Avoyelles parishes and even into the Florida Parishes east of Baton Rouge. In 2004, Spooner contributed to Alexander's unsuccessful intraparty rival, former State Representative John Wyeth "Jock" Scott (1947-2009) of Alexandria.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/elec/elec-MONROE-LA.html|title=Monroe, Louisiana (LA) Political Contributions by Individuals|publisher=city-data.com|accessdate=September 17, 2013}}</ref> In 2007, Spooner donated to the presidential campaign of former Governor [[Mike Huckabee]] of Arkansas because he wanted a candidate with executive experience.<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 353.</ref> ​

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==Personal life==

==Personal life==

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