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In 1944, Gremillion  faced a looming runoff contest with Wade Omer Martin, Jr. (1911-1990), of St. Martin Parish, who had led for the secretary of state's office in the first [[primary]]. The senior Martin, a public service commissioner, and Martin, Jr., coaxed Gremillion to withdraw from the race and instead work as an attorney in the office. Gremillion's exit from the campaign hence made Martin, Jr., the official Democratic nominee, equivalent at the time to election in overwhelmingly Democratic Louisiana. Gremillion was an attorney in the secretary of state's office after he withdrew from the runoff election. [[Bill Dodd|William J. "Bill" Dodd]], a state legislator from Sabine Parish in western Louisiana at the time of the 1944 election wrote: "That a deal was made seemed evident -- when Gremillion wound up with a big job in Wade, Jr.'s office."<ref name=billdoddmemoir>[[Bill Dodd]], ''Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics'' (Baton Rouge: Claitor's Publishing, 1990).</ref>

In 1944, Gremillion  faced a looming runoff contest with Wade Omer Martin, Jr. (1911-1990), of St. Martin Parish, who had led for the secretary of state's office in the first [[primary]]. The senior Martin, a public service commissioner, and Martin, Jr., coaxed Gremillion to withdraw from the race and instead work as an attorney in the office. Gremillion's exit from the campaign hence made Martin, Jr., the official Democratic nominee, equivalent at the time to election in overwhelmingly Democratic Louisiana. Gremillion was an attorney in the secretary of state's office after he withdrew from the runoff election. [[Bill Dodd|William J. "Bill" Dodd]], a state legislator from Sabine Parish in western Louisiana at the time of the 1944 election wrote: "That a deal was made seemed evident -- when Gremillion wound up with a big job in Wade, Jr.'s office."<ref name=billdoddmemoir>[[Bill Dodd]], ''Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics'' (Baton Rouge: Claitor's Publishing, 1990).</ref>

The possibility had existed that there would have been no runoffs at all in 1944 if the [[Earl Long|Long]]-backed gubernatorial candidate, Lewis Lovering Morgan (1876-1950), an  attorney from Covington in St. Tammany Parish, had decided not to pursue a second primary against [[Jimmie Davis]]. Morgan, however, remained in the race, but Davis won the first of his two nonconsecutive terms as governor. At the time Louisiana law then allowed runoffs for the lower-level constitutional office only if there was also a runoff for governor. Somehow, the Martins convinced Gremillion that he would lose a runoff, should bow out and continue to work as an attorney in the secretary of state's office under the junior Martin. With runoffs completed, Earl Long lost his bid for lieutenant governor to J. Emile Verrett (1885-1965), a school board member from Iberia Parish.<ref name=billdoddmemoir/>

The possibility had existed that there would have been no runoffs at all in 1944 if the [[Earl Long|Long]]-backed gubernatorial candidate, Lewis Lovering Morgan (1876-1950), an  attorney from Covington in St. Tammany Parish, had decided not to pursue a second primary against [[Jimmie Davis]]. Morgan, however, remained in the race, but Davis won the first of his two nonconsecutive terms as governor. At the time Louisiana law then allowed runoffs for the lower-level constitutional office only if there was also a runoff for governor. Somehow, the Martins convinced Gremillion that he would lose a runoff, should bow out and continue to work as an attorney in the secretary of state's office under the junior Martin. With runoffs completed, Earl Long lost his bid for lieutenant governor to J. Emile Verrett (1885-1965), a school board member from Iberia Parish.<ref name=billdoddmemoir/>

Gremillion and his wife, the former Mary Cassidy (1886-1978), had six children: James Gremillion, Jr. (1912-1939, Roman Catholic [[clergy]]man John Edward Gremillion (1917-1997), Charles C. Gremillion, Frances Gremillion Hains (1918-2007), Mrs. H. E. Ratcliff, and Mary Lucile Gremillion (1916-1993). In 1955, James Gremillion retired from the secretary of state's office. He died twelve years thereafter at the age of eighty-two in [[Baton Rouge]], where he is interred at Roselawn Memorial Park.<ref name=wikitree/>

Gremillion and his wife, the former Mary Cassidy (1886-1978), had six children: James Gremillion, Jr. (1912-1939, Roman Catholic [[clergy]]man John Edward Gremillion (1917-1997), Charles C. Gremillion, Frances Gremillion Hains (1918-2007), Mrs. H. E. Ratcliff, and Mary Lucile Gremillion (1916-1993). In 1955, James Gremillion retired from the secretary of state's office. He died twelve years thereafter at the age of eighty-two in [[Baton Rouge]], where he is interred at Roselawn Memorial Park.<ref name=wikitree/>