Changes

Donelon led in the first balloting for the congressional seat with 37,191 votes (45.1 percent), but he had peaked and could not sufficiently broaden his appeal into the special election runoff. Tauzin followed with 35,384 ballots (42.9 percent); Guarisco had 8,827 (10.7 percent), and Namer 1,067 (1.3 percent). Donelon won his own Jefferson Parish with 67.4 percent and eked out a bare 50.5 percent in often Republican-leaning Iberia Parish at the western end of the district. In the other French parishes, Donelon fared poorly, taking just 14.9 percent in Tauzin's home base of Lafourche, 33.5 percent in Terrebonne Parish (Houma), 27.3 percent in St. Mary Parish, 30.2 percent in the two St. Martin Parish precincts in the district, and 38.7 percent in St. Charles Parish. Some 60 percent of Donelon's vote came from his own Jefferson Parish.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, April 19, 1980.</ref>

Donelon led in the first balloting for the congressional seat with 37,191 votes (45.1 percent), but he had peaked and could not sufficiently broaden his appeal into the special election runoff. Tauzin followed with 35,384 ballots (42.9 percent); Guarisco had 8,827 (10.7 percent), and Namer 1,067 (1.3 percent). Donelon won his own Jefferson Parish with 67.4 percent and eked out a bare 50.5 percent in often Republican-leaning Iberia Parish at the western end of the district. In the other French parishes, Donelon fared poorly, taking just 14.9 percent in Tauzin's home base of Lafourche, 33.5 percent in Terrebonne Parish (Houma), 27.3 percent in St. Mary Parish, 30.2 percent in the two St. Martin Parish precincts in the district, and 38.7 percent in St. Charles Parish. Some 60 percent of Donelon's vote came from his own Jefferson Parish.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, April 19, 1980.</ref>

The Republican National Committee joined the National Republican Congressional Committee to raise money nationwide for Donelon. RNC Chairman [[Bill Brock]], former U.S. Senator from [[Tennessee]], and congressional chairman Guy Vander Jagt of [[Michigan]], said that funds were need to purchase media and newspaper advertising to reach undecided voters and to conduct a massive "get-out-the-vote" drive. Brock and Vander Jagt said that the Louisiana special election was "[a]n opportunity to hold this congressional seat. Donelon is an outstanding Republican and former Jefferson Parish president. His Democratic opponent [future Republican Tauzin] is pro-big labor and a big spender. Democrats and labor bosses will go all out with massive campaign blitz to win control of this district. Republican leaders in Louisiana join us in urgently requesting your immediate action to stop them ..."<ref>Letter from National Republican Congressional Committee by National Chairman William Brock and Congressional Chairman Guy Vander Jagt, [[Washington, D.C]], to Republican contributors across the nation, May 1980.</ref>

The Republican National Committee joined the National Republican Congressional Committee to raise money nationwide for Donelon. RNC Chairman [[Bill Brock]], former U.S. Senator from [[Tennessee]], and congressional chairman Guy Vander Jagt of [[Michigan]], said that funds were need to purchase media and newspaper advertising to reach undecided voters and to conduct a massive "get-out-the-vote" drive. Brock and Vander Jagt said that the Louisiana special election was "[a]n opportunity to hold this congressional seat. Donelon is an outstanding Republican and former Jefferson Parish president. His Democratic opponent [future Republican Tauzin] is pro-big labor and a big spender. Democrats and labor bosses will go all out with massive campaign blitz to win control of this district. Republican leaders in Louisiana join us in urgently requesting your immediate action to stop them ..."<ref>Letter from National Republican Congressional Committee by National Chairman William Brock and Congressional Chairman Guy Vander Jagt, [[Washington, D.C.]], to Republican contributors across the nation, May 1980.</ref>

The Republican effort to elect Donelon to hold the Treen seat fell short. Tauzin prevailed with 62,108 votes (53.1 percent) to Donelon's 54,815 ballots (46.9 percent). Donelon's 2/3 majority in Jefferson Parish was insufficient to offset huge Tauzin majorities in Lafourche, St. Charles, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Terrebonne parishes. In Iberia Parish, the two split the vote, with Tauzin securing 50.1 percent. The turnout in the May 17 special election runoff was 116,923, compared to 82,462 in the April 19 first round of balloting.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, May 17, 1980.</ref> The greater participation occurred despite flooding that inundated much of south Louisiana the previous day.<ref>''The Baton Rouge Advocate,'' May 17, 1980, p. 1.</ref>

The Republican effort to elect Donelon to hold the Treen seat fell short. Tauzin prevailed with 62,108 votes (53.1 percent) to Donelon's 54,815 ballots (46.9 percent). Donelon's 2/3 majority in Jefferson Parish was insufficient to offset huge Tauzin majorities in Lafourche, St. Charles, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Terrebonne parishes. In Iberia Parish, the two split the vote, with Tauzin securing 50.1 percent. The turnout in the May 17 special election runoff was 116,923, compared to 82,462 in the April 19 first round of balloting.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, May 17, 1980.</ref> The greater participation occurred despite flooding that inundated much of south Louisiana the previous day.<ref>''The Baton Rouge Advocate,'' May 17, 1980, p. 1.</ref>