| | Police Chief Batton and Sheriff O. H. Haynes, Sr., net in a runoff election held on February 19, 1952. Batton unseated the senior sheriff by 43 votes, 5,444 (50.2 percent) to 5,401 (49.8 percent).<ref>"Batton Elected Sheriff," ''Minden Herald'', February 21, 1952, p. 1.</ref> On January 17, 1956, in conjunction with the successful gubernatorial comeback waged by [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], Batton thwarted the attempt by former Sheriff Haynes, then sixty-seven, to return to office as well as the candidacy of C. Kelly McWilliams of Sarepta. Batton received 5,254 votes; Haynes, Sr., 3,134, and McWilliams, 1,493.<ref>"Batton Wins in First Primary", ''Minden Herald'', January 19, 1956, p. 1.</ref> | | Police Chief Batton and Sheriff O. H. Haynes, Sr., net in a runoff election held on February 19, 1952. Batton unseated the senior sheriff by 43 votes, 5,444 (50.2 percent) to 5,401 (49.8 percent).<ref>"Batton Elected Sheriff," ''Minden Herald'', February 21, 1952, p. 1.</ref> On January 17, 1956, in conjunction with the successful gubernatorial comeback waged by [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], Batton thwarted the attempt by former Sheriff Haynes, then sixty-seven, to return to office as well as the candidacy of C. Kelly McWilliams of Sarepta. Batton received 5,254 votes; Haynes, Sr., 3,134, and McWilliams, 1,493.<ref>"Batton Wins in First Primary", ''Minden Herald'', January 19, 1956, p. 1.</ref> |
| − | Shortly after his first reelection, Batton was named one of seventeen directors of the Webster Parish Citizens' Council, a body which sought to prevent school desegregation. Others in the council were the mortician Ed Kleinegger, Tax Assessor Richard B. Garrison, and the Minden High School principal, [[W. W. Williams, Sr.]].<ref>"Rainach to Speak at Council Meet Tomorrow Night," ''Minden Press,'' April 16, 1956, p. 1.</ref> | + | Shortly after his first reelection, Batton was named one of seventeen directors of the Webster Parish Citizens' Council, a body which sought to prevent school desegregation. Others in the council were the mortician Ed Kleinegger, Tax Assessor Richard B. Garrison, and the Minden High School principal, [[W. W. Williams, Sr.]].<ref>"[[William Rainach]] to Speak at Council Meet Tomorrow Night," ''Minden Press,'' April 16, 1956, p. 1.</ref> |