Changes

==Election history==

==Election history==

In the  nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 20, 2007, Hazel unseated Democratic state Representative Rick L. Farrar (1960-2018) of Pineville, 9,330 votes (62.5 percent) to 5,611 (37.5 percent).[2] Farrar had first won the seat in the primary held on October 19, 1991, when he upset fellow Democrat Carl Newton Gunter, Jr. (1938-1999), 7,729 (56.6 percent) to 5,929 (43.4 percent).[3] Gunter had been known for his [[Populism|populist]] political stance and his outspoken opposition to [[abortion]].[4] Farrar was narrowly unseated for the 1996-2000 term by the Republican Randy Eugene Wiggins of Pineville, a [[State Farm]] [[insurance]] agent in Alexandria. On October 6, 1995, Wiggins defeated Farrar, 6,350 votes (51.1 percent) to 6,077 (48.9 percent).[5] When Wiggins ran for the state Senate in 1999 against former Senator [[Joe McPherson]], who did not run in 1995, Farrar staged a successful return to office. In the 2003 primary, Farrar handil [[Independent]ly defeated [[Independent]]  "Pete" Ferrington,, 7,072 (61 percent) to 4,519 (39 percent).[6]

In the  nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 20, 2007, Hazel unseated Democratic state Representative Rick L. Farrar (1960-2018) of Pineville, 9,330 votes (62.5 percent) to 5,611 (37.5 percent).[2] Farrar had first won the seat in the primary held on October 19, 1991, when he upset fellow Democrat Carl Newton Gunter, Jr. (1938-1999), 7,729 (56.6 percent) to 5,929 (43.4 percent).[3] Gunter had been known for his [[Populism|populist]] political stance and his outspoken opposition to [[abortion]].[4] Farrar was narrowly unseated for the 1996-2000 term by the Republican Randy Eugene Wiggins of Pineville, a State Farm [[insurance]] agent in Alexandria. On October 6, 1995, Wiggins defeated Farrar, 6,350 votes (51.1 percent) to 6,077 (48.9 percent).[5] When Wiggins ran for the state Senate in 1999 against former Senator [[Joe McPherson]], who did not run in 1995, Farrar staged a successful return to the House seat. In the 2003 primary, Farrar handily defeated the [[Independent]]  "Pete" Ferrington,, 7,072 (61 percent) to 4,519 (39 percent).[6]

Randy Wiggins, meanwhile, challenged the second-term reelection of Hazel  in the primary held on October 22, 2011, but Hazel handily defeated the former representative, 8,089 votes (60.8 percent) to 5,220 votes (39.2 percent).[7]

Randy Wiggins, meanwhile, challenged the second-term reelection of Hazel  in the primary held on October 22, 2011, but Hazel handily defeated the former representative, 8,089 votes (60.8 percent) to 5,220 votes (39.2 percent).[7]