Changes

With the backing of Governor Kennon, who was ineligible to seek a second consecutive four-year term, Preaus declared his candidacy for governor in 1955.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIhZxpoZVIQC&pg=PA378 |title=The Eisenhower Years|author=Michael S. Mayer|date=2010|page=378|publisher=|location=|isbn=978-0-8160-5387-2|accessdate=February 17, 2015}}</ref> Preaus's platform stressed law enforcement with use of the Louisiana National Guard as needed,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/3909247/|title=Pre3aus will use Guard to enforce law|publisher=''Lake Charles American-Press''|date=January 5, 1956|page=1|accessdate=February 18, 2015}}</ref> industrial development, tidelands oil revenues, long-range highway planning, no state tax increases, greater independence for local governments, expanded facilities for mental and tuberculosis patients, $65 per month welfare payments to the elderly or needy, the dredging of twenty new lakes,<ref name=mhwr/> and the maintenance of racial [[segregation]], the opposition to which he blamed on "outside agitators."<ref name=segregation>"Preaus Takes Strong Stand on Segregation," ''Minden Herald,'' December 8, 1955, p. 1.</ref> Preaus claimed that the [[NAACP]] [[civil rights]] organization was upsetting the "goodwill" that existed in Louisiana between the races.<ref name=segregation/>​

With the backing of Governor Kennon, who was ineligible to seek a second consecutive four-year term, Preaus declared his candidacy for governor in 1955.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIhZxpoZVIQC&pg=PA378 |title=The Eisenhower Years|author=Michael S. Mayer|date=2010|page=378|publisher=|location=|isbn=978-0-8160-5387-2|accessdate=February 17, 2015}}</ref> Preaus's platform stressed law enforcement with use of the Louisiana National Guard as needed,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/3909247/|title=Pre3aus will use Guard to enforce law|publisher=''Lake Charles American-Press''|date=January 5, 1956|page=1|accessdate=February 18, 2015}}</ref> industrial development, tidelands oil revenues, long-range highway planning, no state tax increases, greater independence for local governments, expanded facilities for mental and tuberculosis patients, $65 per month welfare payments to the elderly or needy, the dredging of twenty new lakes,<ref name=mhwr/> and the maintenance of racial [[segregation]], the opposition to which he blamed on "outside agitators."<ref name=segregation>"Preaus Takes Strong Stand on Segregation," ''Minden Herald,'' December 8, 1955, p. 1.</ref> Preaus claimed that the [[NAACP]] [[civil rights]] organization was upsetting the "goodwill" that existed in Louisiana between the races.<ref name=segregation/>​

For lieutenant governor, Preaus allied with [[New Orleans]] City Council member Andre Brown Moore, a 1934 graduate of the [[Tulane University]] Law School who had served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps under [[General]] [[George S. Patton]]'s [[Third Army]]

For lieutenant governor, Preaus allied with [[New Orleans]] City Council member Andre Brown Moore, a 1934 graduate of the [[Tulane University]] Law School who had served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps under [[General]] [[George S. Patton]]'s Third Army

during [[World War II]]. Prior to the formation of the mayor-council form of government, Moore was from 1950 to 1954 the New Orleans public utilities commissioner. Then from 1954 to 1957, he was a city councilman. DeLesseps Story Morrison, Sr. (1912-1964) was the [[mayor]] throughout the decade and a first-time gubernatorial candidate against Preaus in 1956. Previously, Brown had carried the support of all Democratic political factions and daily newspapers in New Orleans.<ref name=mhwr/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://specialcollections.tulane.edu/archon/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=573&q=Slavery+documents+collection.|title=Andre Brown Moore papers|publisher=[[Tulane University]]|accessdate=February 15, 2015}}</ref>​

during [[World War II]]. Prior to the formation of the mayor-council form of government, Moore was from 1950 to 1954 the New Orleans public utilities commissioner. Then from 1954 to 1957, he was a city councilman. DeLesseps Story Morrison, Sr. (1912-1964) was the [[mayor]] throughout the decade and a first-time gubernatorial candidate against Preaus in 1956. Previously, Brown had carried the support of all Democratic political factions and daily newspapers in New Orleans.<ref name=mhwr/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://specialcollections.tulane.edu/archon/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=573&q=Slavery+documents+collection.|title=Andre Brown Moore papers|publisher=[[Tulane University]]|accessdate=February 15, 2015}}</ref>​

Long's remarks about Preaus were still being recalled as recently as 2011. Long inadvertently turned Preaus into something of a celebrity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.revolution21.org/2011/01/ghost-of-fred-preaus.html|title=The Ghost of Fred Preaus|publisher=revolution21.org|accessdate=February 15, 2015}}</ref>​

Long's remarks about Preaus were still being recalled as recently as 2011. Long inadvertently turned Preaus into something of a celebrity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.revolution21.org/2011/01/ghost-of-fred-preaus.html|title=The Ghost of Fred Preaus|publisher=revolution21.org|accessdate=February 15, 2015}}</ref>​

​

​

Late in 1955, Preaus said that if he were elected governor he would want the Democratic presidential nominee in 1956 to run under the [[rooster]] emblem, unlike in 1948 when President [[Harry Truman]] was placed under the national donkey emblem and lost Louisiana's [[electoral vote]]s to [[Dixiecrat]] [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]], who was named the official Democratic nominee in Louisiana. Preaus said that he had ruled out supporting at least one potential Democratic candidate, Governor [[G. Mennen Williams]] of [[Michigan]], who announced that he favored stripping all federal aid to those states that maintained racial segregation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/mississippi/biloxi/biloxi-daily-herald/1955/12-24/page-9|title=''Biloxi Daily Herald''|location=Biloxi, Mississippi|date=December 24, 1955|page=9|accessdate=February 18, 2015}}</ref>​

Late in 1955, Preaus said that if he were elected governor he would want the Democratic presidential nominee in 1956 to run under the [[rooster]] emblem, unlike in 1948 when President [[Harry Truman]] was placed under the national donkey emblem and lost Louisiana's [[electoral vote]]s to [[Dixiecrat]] [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]], who was named the official Democratic nominee in Louisiana. Preaus said that he had ruled out supporting at least one potential Democratic candidate, Governor G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams of [[Michigan]], who announced that he favored stripping all federal aid to those states that maintained racial segregation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/mississippi/biloxi/biloxi-daily-herald/1955/12-24/page-9|title=''Biloxi Daily Herald''|location=Biloxi, Mississippi|date=December 24, 1955|page=9|accessdate=February 18, 2015}}</ref>​

​

​

In a January 1956 speech carried by [[radio]] and [[television]], Kennon minimized the chances of any of the "other anti-Long candidates" to defeat former Governor Earl Long in a potential runoff election]. "The only man who can beat Earl Long in the runoff [which was not required, as it developed)] is Fred Preaus, and the only man Earl is afraid of in this race is Fred Preaus," Kennon quipped.<ref name=lcap>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/2460219/|title=Kennon says it'll be Long or Preaus|publisher=''Lake Charles American-Press''|page=32|date=January 12, 1956|accessdate=February 17, 2015}}</ref> Kennon gave a running prediction of how he expected to vote to divide throughout the state, but he badly misjudged the forthcoming election results in which Long won without need for a second primary.<ref name=lcap/>​

In a January 1956 speech carried by [[radio]] and [[television]], Kennon minimized the chances of any of the "other anti-Long candidates" to defeat former Governor Earl Long in a potential runoff election]. "The only man who can beat Earl Long in the runoff [which was not required, as it developed] is Fred Preaus, and the only man Earl is afraid of in this race is Fred Preaus," Kennon quipped.<ref name=lcap>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/2460219/|title=Kennon says it'll be Long or Preaus|publisher=''Lake Charles American-Press''|page=32|date=January 12, 1956|accessdate=February 17, 2015}}</ref> Kennon gave a running prediction of how he expected to vote to divide throughout the state, but he badly misjudged the forthcoming election results in which Long won without need for a second primary.<ref name=lcap/>​

​

​

Considered a [[dark horse]] candidate from the start,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19560118&id=-60fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B9cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2840,926230|title=Landslide Vote for Earl Long: Louisiana Supports Former Governor|publisher=''Southeast Missourian''|location=[[Cape Girardeau]], [[Missouri]]|page=1|date=January 18, 1956|accessdate=February 18, 2015}}</ref> Preaus was unable to make much headway in the race against Long but carried one parish &mdash; not his own Union Parish, but Plaquemines Parish, then dominated by the segregationist political boss Leander H. Perez, a Dixiecrat in 1948 and one of Preaus' most determined backers.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A2ZXz67oSdAC&pg=PA162 |title=Leander Perez: Boss of the Delta|author=Glen Jeansonne|date=1995|edition=2|publisher=University of Louisiana at [[Lafayette]]|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|page=162|isbn=157806-917-3|accessdate=February 15, 2015}}</ref>  

Considered a [[dark horse]] candidate from the start,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19560118&id=-60fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B9cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2840,926230|title=Landslide Vote for Earl Long: Louisiana Supports Former Governor|publisher=''Southeast Missourian''|location=[[Cape Girardeau]], [[Missouri]]|page=1|date=January 18, 1956|accessdate=February 18, 2015}}</ref> Preaus was unable to make much headway in the race against Long but carried one parish &mdash; not his own Union Parish, but Plaquemines Parish, then dominated by the segregationist political boss Leander H. Perez, a Dixiecrat in 1948 and one of Preaus' most determined backers.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A2ZXz67oSdAC&pg=PA162 |title=Leander Perez: Boss of the Delta|author=Glen Jeansonne|date=1995|edition=2|publisher=University of Louisiana at [[Lafayette]]|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|page=162|isbn=157806-917-3|accessdate=February 15, 2015}}</ref>