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​Prior to the state chairmanship, Smallenberger, a Republican since 1938, had been the Republican state chairman for Louisiana's 4th congressional district, then represented by the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Thomas Overton Brooks (1897-1961). Beginning in 1988, the district switched to Republican representation. In 1959, Smallenberger and the Louisiana national committeeman, [[George Reese]], of [[New Orleans]], the party's 1960 nominee for the [[United States Senate]] against [[Allen J. Ellender]], became involved in an intraparty feud with Thomas Eaton "Tom" Stagg, Jr. (1923-2015), a Shreveport Republican lawyer and subsequent judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, and Charles Thomas Beaird (1922-2006), the later publisher of the defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]]''. Stagg objected when Reese endorsed, with Smallenberger in agreement, a slate of candidates for party position on both the state and parish committees. Stagg described Reese as having attempted to assemble a group of "yes-men" and had hence "earned the enmity of a large number of fair-minded Republicans".<ref>"GOP Faction Fight Erupts Over Primary: 4th District Head Charges Attempt to Pack Committee", ''The Shreveport Times'', December 2, 1959, p. 1.</ref> Reese, however, defended his endorsements, most of whom won their primary races, on the premise that he as a statewide party leader was obligated to recommend suitable candidates to rank-and-file voters.<ref>"Endorsements Defended by GOP Leader: Reese answers attack by Stagg as Faction Fight", ''The Shreveport Times'', December 3, 1959, pp. 1, 4.</ref> At the time, Reese appointed Smallenberger as the "assistant national committeeman for North Louisiana."<ref>"Attorney Here Appointed to GOP Position", ''The Shreveport Times'', December 2, 1959, p. 4-A.</ref>

​Prior to the state chairmanship, Smallenberger, a Republican since 1938, had been the Republican state chairman for Louisiana's 4th congressional district, then represented by the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Thomas Overton Brooks (1897-1961). Beginning in 1988, the district switched to Republican representation. In 1959, Smallenberger and the Louisiana national committeeman, [[George Reese]], of [[New Orleans]], the party's 1960 nominee for the [[United States Senate]] against [[Allen J. Ellender]], became involved in an intraparty feud with Thomas Eaton "Tom" Stagg, Jr. (1923-2015), a Shreveport Republican lawyer and subsequent judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, and Charles Thomas Beaird (1922-2006), the later publisher of the defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]]''. Stagg objected when Reese endorsed, with Smallenberger in agreement, a slate of candidates for party position on both the state and parish committees. Stagg described Reese as having attempted to assemble a group of "yes-men" and had hence "earned the enmity of a large number of fair-minded Republicans".<ref>"GOP Faction Fight Erupts Over Primary: 4th District Head Charges Attempt to Pack Committee", ''The Shreveport Times'', December 2, 1959, p. 1.</ref> Reese, however, defended his endorsements, most of whom won their primary races, on the premise that he as a statewide party leader was obligated to recommend suitable candidates to rank-and-file voters.<ref>"Endorsements Defended by GOP Leader: Reese answers attack by Stagg as Faction Fight", ''The Shreveport Times'', December 3, 1959, pp. 1, 4.</ref> At the time, Reese appointed Smallenberger as the "assistant national committeeman for North Louisiana."<ref>"Attorney Here Appointed to GOP Position", ''The Shreveport Times'', December 2, 1959, p. 4-A.</ref>

 

Smallenberger was an alternate delegate to the 1960 Republican National Conventio] and supported the nominee, [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], in the presidential election against U.S. Senator [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref name=polgrave/> Smallenberger said that the original Republicanplatform was"[[conservative]]", but it was moved to the political left when Nixon offered concessions to [[Governor]] [[Nelson Rockefeller]] of [[New York]] in a bid for support from the East Coast,<ref>"GOP Platform Told to Men's Club Monday", ''Minden Herald'', [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], [[Louisiana]], October 20, 1960, p. 1.</ref> areas which Nixon still lost in the general election.​ William Monroe Rainach (1913-1978), a state senator from Claiborne Parish who was a delegate to the 1960 [[Democratic National Convention]] in [[Los Angeles]], agreed with Smallenberger. In Rainach's words, "the Republican platform is not quite as bad" as that offered by the Kennedy/[[Lyndon Johnson|Johnson]] forces. Rainach said that the influence of Rockefeller had reduced the practical usefulness of the Republican Party to southern conservatives. Rainach added that if unpledged electors had gained sufficient support across the South, as they did in [[Mississippi]] and [[Alabama]], he would have urged negotiations among the electors themselves, rather than having the U.S. House of Representatives choose the president with one vote per state in event of a deadlock in the [[electoral college]]. Were the House to have chosen a president in 1961, Kennedy would have been an automatic winner because the majority of state delegations were then in Democrat hands, Rainach said.<ref>"Demo Platform Lashed by Former State Senator", ''Minden Herald'', October 6, 1960, p. 1.</ref>​

In 1960, Smallenberger was again an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention and supported the nominee, [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]], in the election against U.S. Senator [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref name=polgrave/> Smallenberger said that the original Republicanplatform was"[[conservative]]", but it was moved to the political left when Nixon offered concessions to [[Governor]] [[Nelson Rockefeller]] of [[New York]] in a bid for support from the East Coast,<ref>"GOP Platform Told to Men's Club Monday", ''Minden Herald'', ([[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], [[Louisiana]]), October 20, 1960, p. 1.</ref> areas which Nixon still lost in the general election.​ William Monroe Rainach (1913-1978), a state senator from Claiborne Parish who was a delegate to the 1960 [[Democratic National Convention]] in [[Los Angeles]], agreed with Smallenberger. In Rainach's words, "the Republican platform is not quite as bad" as that offered by the Kennedy/[[Lyndon Johnson|Johnson]] forces. Rainach said that the influence of Rockefeller had reduced the practical usefulness of the Republican Party to southern conservatives. Rainach added that if unpledged electors had gained sufficient support across the South, as they did in [[Mississippi]] and [[Alabama]], he would have urged negotiations among the electors themselves, rather than having the U.S. House of Representatives choose the president with one vote per state in event of a deadlock in the [[electoral college]]. Were the House to have chosen a president in 1961, Kennedy would have been an automatic winner because the majority of state delegations were then in Democrat hands, Rainach said.<ref>"Demo Platform Lashed by Former State Senator", ''Minden Herald'', October 6, 1960, p. 1.</ref>​

Though the Louisiana Republican Party coalesced behind Nixon in 1960 and 1968, it could not deliver the state to him until the 1972 campaign, when Nixon also won forty-eight other states.​

Though the Louisiana Republican Party coalesced behind Nixon in 1960 and 1968, it could not deliver the state to him until the 1972 campaign, when Nixon also won forty-eight other states.​