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Her career in state government began in the 1970s when she worked in the office of then Secretary of State Wade Ober  Martin, Jr.  She was named director of the Atchafalaya Basin Division of the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. In 1978, Thompson was dismissed from the Department Culture, Recreation and Tourism in 1978 because of disputes with her undersecretaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ladigitalmedia.org/video_v2/asset-detail/LSWI-0231-02_InDepth|title=Dismissal of Sandra Thompson (1978)|publisher=Ladigitalmedia.org|accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The lieutenant governor now heads the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. The Atchafalaya project, which encompassing a million acres, is the largest bottomland swamp in [[North America]].

Her career in state government began in the 1970s when she worked in the office of then Secretary of State Wade Ober  Martin, Jr.  She was named director of the Atchafalaya Basin Division of the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. In 1978, Thompson was dismissed from the Department Culture, Recreation and Tourism in 1978 because of disputes with her undersecretaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ladigitalmedia.org/video_v2/asset-detail/LSWI-0231-02_InDepth|title=Dismissal of Sandra Thompson (1978)|publisher=Ladigitalmedia.org|accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The lieutenant governor now heads the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. The Atchafalaya project, which encompassing a million acres, is the largest bottomland swamp in [[North America]].

After Thompson left the Atchafalaya program, she ran unsuccessfully as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] for secretary of state. The position became open when Wade Martin's successor, Paul Jude Hardy, then of St. Martinville, ran  unsuccessfully for [[governor]]. Nine years later, Hardy was elected lieutenant governor in 1988. Thompson went into a [[general election]] with fellow Democrat, then state Senator James Harvey "Jim" Brown, then of Ferriday in Concordia Parish. She had a considerable lead in the nonpartisan blanket primary but fell unexpectedly short in the second round of balloting.​ In the primary, Thompson polled 504,808 votes (40.8 percent) to Brown's 391,849 ballots (31.7 percent). An [[African American|African-American]] candidate, Ben Jeffers, received 253,764 votes (20.5 percent). [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate Dick Bruce, a then [[New Orleans]] advertising executive born in 1924 who stressed tourism and international trade, polled 85,870 votes (6.9 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 6, 1979.</ref>  In 1971, Bruce had run unsuccessfully in the race to succeed Lieutenant Governor Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock.<ref>''Minden Press-Herald'', November 6, 1971.</ref>​

After Thompson left the Atchafalaya program, she ran unsuccessfully as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] for secretary of state. The position became open when Wade Martin's successor, Paul Jude Hardy, then of St. Martinville, ran  unsuccessfully for [[governor]]. Nine years later, Hardy was elected lieutenant governor in 1988. Thompson went into a [[general election]] with fellow Democrat, then state Senator [[James H. "Jim" Brown]], then of Ferriday in Concordia Parish. She had a considerable lead in the nonpartisan blanket primary but fell unexpectedly short in the second round of balloting.​ In the primary, Thompson polled 504,808 votes (40.8 percent) to Brown's 391,849 ballots (31.7 percent). An [[African American|African-American]] candidate, Ben Jeffers, received 253,764 votes (20.5 percent). [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate Dick Bruce, a then [[New Orleans]] advertising executive born in 1924 who stressed tourism and international trade, polled 85,870 votes (6.9 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 6, 1979.</ref>  In 1971, Bruce had run unsuccessfully in the race to succeed Lieutenant Governor Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock.<ref>''Minden Press-Herald'', November 6, 1971.</ref>​

Therefore, Jim Brown secured nearly all of the votes obtained by Jeffers, and most of Bruce's supporters presumably switched to Thompson. Brown won the [[general election]] with 665,608 votes (51.1 percent) to Thompson's 617,907 (48.9 percent). The percent for Brown and Jeffers from the primary was a combined 52.2 percent, or 1.1 percentage points more than what Brown finally received in the final phase of the race. Thompson and Bruce in the first round of balloting had a combined 47.7 percent, or 1.2 percentage points below what Thompson finally received.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, December 16, 1971.</ref> For years, Thompson said that she never expected to lose the race to Brown. In 1983, she attempted to unseat East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court Hugh Michael "Mike" Cannon (born January 27, 1945), a fellow Democrat since in private business. Though she ran well enough to make the general election, she again was defeated.​<ref>Louisianan Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 22, 1983.</ref>

Therefore, Jim Brown secured nearly all of the votes obtained by Jeffers, and most of Bruce's supporters presumably switched to Thompson. Brown won the [[general election]] with 665,608 votes (51.1 percent) to Thompson's 617,907 (48.9 percent). The percent for Brown and Jeffers from the primary was a combined 52.2 percent, or 1.1 percentage points more than what Brown finally received in the final phase of the race. Thompson and Bruce in the first round of balloting had a combined 47.7 percent, or 1.2 percentage points below what Thompson finally received.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, December 16, 1971.</ref> For years, Thompson said that she never expected to lose the race to Brown. In 1983, she attempted to unseat East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court Hugh Michael "Mike" Cannon (born January 27, 1945), a fellow Democrat since in private business. Though she ran well enough to make the general election, she again was defeated.​<ref>Louisianan Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 22, 1983.</ref>