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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>​

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>​

 

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>​

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==

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Right after his congressional campaign, Spooner became the Louisiana Republican National Committeeman. He did not seek office again though he remained active in the GOP.  In 1979, Spooner was uncommitted between Treen and U.S. Representative William Henson Moore of [[Baton Rouge]], who then held Louisiana's 6th congressional district seat, as the Republican choice for governor. His stance brought criticism from his predecessor as national committeeman, the Treen aide John Hamilton Cade, Jr. (1928-1988), of Alexandria. In 1983, Spooner was chairman of the Platform Committee for the Louisiana State Republican Convention that nominated Treen in an unsuccessful bid for reelection as governor.<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 347.</ref>  In 1984, Spooner spearheaded an unsuccessful movement to draft Treen to run against Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]]  Spooner was also chairman of security for the 1984 Republican National Convention in [[Dallas]].  In 1986, Spooner devised an effective "Get Out The Vote" plan that has been used by a number of Northeast Louisiana Republicans to win elective offices.  In 1996, two decades after his own congressional race, Spooner was the campaign chairman for Republican John Cooksey, a Monroe ophthalmologist, in a successful bid for the 5th congressional district seat.​<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 347.</ref>

Right after his congressional campaign, Spooner became the Louisiana Republican National Committeeman. He did not seek office again though he remained active in the GOP.  In 1979, Spooner was uncommitted between Treen and U.S. Representative William Henson Moore of [[Baton Rouge]], who then held Louisiana's 6th congressional district seat, as the Republican choice for governor. His stance brought criticism from his predecessor as national committeeman, the Treen aide John Hamilton Cade, Jr. (1928-1988), of Alexandria. In 1983, Spooner was chairman of the Platform Committee for the Louisiana State Republican Convention that nominated Treen in an unsuccessful bid for reelection as governor.<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 347.</ref>  In 1984, Spooner spearheaded an unsuccessful movement to draft Treen to run against Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]]  Spooner was also chairman of security for the 1984 Republican National Convention in [[Dallas]].  In 1986, Spooner devised an effective "Get Out The Vote" plan that has been used by a number of Northeast Louisiana Republicans to win elective offices.  In 1996, two decades after his own congressional race, Spooner was the campaign chairman for Republican John Cooksey, a Monroe ophthalmologist, in a successful bid for the 5th congressional district seat.​<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 347.</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> ​

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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Spooner is a [[United Methodist]]<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 343.</ref> and a donor to the Louisiana Methodist Children's Home orphanage in Monroe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmch.org/pathways/v37PathwaysSpring06.pdf|title=Donors: January 1, 2006 – April 30, 2006|publisher=Louisiana Methodist Children's Home|accessdate=September 17, 2013}}</ref>He was a member of the Optimist Club.<ref name=whoswho/>He and his wife have three daughters and eight grandchildren.​<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 354.</ref>

Spooner is a [[United Methodist]]<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 343.</ref> and a donor to the Louisiana Methodist Children's Home orphanage in Monroe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lmch.org/pathways/v37PathwaysSpring06.pdf|title=Donors: January 1, 2006 – April 30, 2006|publisher=Louisiana Methodist Children's Home|accessdate=September 17, 2013}}</ref>He was a member of the Optimist Club.<ref name=whoswho/>He and his wife have three daughters and eight grandchildren.​<ref>''Louisiana History'', p. 354.</ref>

==References==​

==References==

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