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{{Infobox person

{{Infobox person

| name=Frederick Tidwell Preaus​<br>

| name=Frederick Tidwell Preaus​<br>

==Gubernatorial race==

==Gubernatorial race==

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/>​

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 "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>​

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 (1911-1988) 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/>​