Block, Upload, Automoderated users, edit, move, protect, rollback
57,799
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 38:
Line 38: − +
→Louisiana Republican pioneer
==Louisiana Republican pioneer==
==Louisiana Republican pioneer==
At the time of Thibodaux's death, Roger F. Villere, Jr., then the chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, heralded Thibodaux as a pioneer of the GOP in southwestern Louisiana. Disenfranchised with the controlling Democratic Party due to widespread corruption throughout the state in the 1970s and 1980s, Thibodaux sought to enhance the position of Louisiana's Republican Party to restore a viable two-party system to his state. He served as a delegate to the 1988 [[Republican National Convention]], which met in New Orleans, and was elected to the Republican State Central Committee, where, as a member of The Louisiana Coalition against Racism and Nazism, he rallied against [[David Duke]]'s 1991 gubernatorial campaign against Edwin Edwards.
At the time of Thibodaux's death, [[Roger F. Villere, Jr.]], then the chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, heralded Thibodaux as a pioneer of the GOP in southwestern Louisiana. Disenfranchised with the controlling Democratic Party due to widespread corruption throughout the state in the 1970s and 1980s, Thibodaux sought to enhance the position of Louisiana's Republican Party to restore a viable two-party system to his state. He served as a delegate to the 1988 [[Republican National Convention]], which met in New Orleans, and was elected to the Republican State Central Committee, where, as a member of The Louisiana Coalition against Racism and Nazism, he rallied against [[David Duke]]'s 1991 gubernatorial campaign against Edwin Edwards.
In 1990, Thibodaux ran for the U.S. House. The 7th district had never been held by a Republican and was a known Democratic stronghold, famously held by [[Edwin Edwards]] from 1965 to 1972, before Edwards was elected to his first of four terms as [[governor]]. Edwards supported his protégé, [[John Breaux]], to run as his successor. Breaux held the seat until 1986 before being elected to the U.S. Senate for the first of three termss. Breaux then supported Jimmy Hayes of Lafayette, who won the seat as his successor in 1986. In 1990, Thibodaux lost his bid to the two-term incumbent Hayes. Thibodaux received almost 70,000 votes, nearly 40 percent of the vote.
In 1990, Thibodaux ran for the U.S. House. The 7th district had never been held by a Republican and was a known Democratic stronghold, famously held by [[Edwin Edwards]] from 1965 to 1972, before Edwards was elected to his first of four terms as [[governor]]. Edwards supported his protégé, [[John Breaux]], to run as his successor. Breaux held the seat until 1986 before being elected to the U.S. Senate for the first of three termss. Breaux then supported Jimmy Hayes of Lafayette, who won the seat as his successor in 1986. In 1990, Thibodaux lost his bid to the two-term incumbent Hayes. Thibodaux received almost 70,000 votes, nearly 40 percent of the vote.