Changes

==Running for lieutenant governor, 2010==

==Running for lieutenant governor, 2010==

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In March 2010, Villere announced that he would seek the position of lieutenant governor, which was vacated on May 3 by [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Mitch Landrieu]], who in 2010 became the [[mayor]] of [[New Orleans]], a post that he held for two terms. Several other Republicans also entered the October 2 [[special election]] for the fifteen months remaining in Landrieu's term: Country music Sammy Kershaw, who lost to Landrieu in 2007; Louisiana Secretary of State John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne of [[Baton Rouge]], and Kevin Davis, the parish president of St. Tammany Parish in the New Orleans [[suburb]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/03/roger_villere_gop_chairman_ann.html|author=Bill Barrow|title=Roger Villere, GOP chairman, announces for lieutenant governor|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=March 30, 2010|accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> Meanwhile, state Representative [[Cameron Henr of Jefferson Parish tried earlier in the year to abolish the office of lieutenant governor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/plan_to_abolish_lieutenant_gov.html|author=Ed Anderson|title=Plan to abolish lieutenant governor's position may run into legislative opposition|date=February 12, 2010|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|accessdate=July 13, 2010}}</ref>​ the principal function of which is to promote tourism and recreation.

In March 2010, Villere announced that he would seek the position of lieutenant governor, which was vacated on May 3 by [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Mitch Landrieu]], who in 2010 became the [[mayor]] of [[New Orleans]], a post that he held for two terms. Several other Republicans also entered the October 2 [[special election]] for the fifteen months remaining in Landrieu's term: Country music Sammy Kershaw, who lost to Landrieu in 2007; Louisiana Secretary of State John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne of [[Baton Rouge]], and Kevin Davis, the parish president of St. Tammany Parish in the New Orleans [[suburb]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/03/roger_villere_gop_chairman_ann.html|author=Bill Barrow|title=Roger Villere, GOP chairman, announces for lieutenant governor|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=March 30, 2010|accessdate=April 24, 2010}}</ref> Meanwhile, state Representative [[Cameron Henry]] of Jefferson Parish tried earlier in 2010 to abolish the office of lieutenant governor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/plan_to_abolish_lieutenant_gov.html|author=Ed Anderson|title=Plan to abolish lieutenant governor's position may run into legislative opposition|date=February 12, 2010|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|accessdate=July 13, 2010}}</ref>​ the principal function of which is to promote tourism and recreation.

Several of Villere's opponents claimed that his continuing role as party chairman represented a conflict of interest in that he should remain neutral when several Republicans are running for an office. There is no rule, however, that a party chairman must step down when himself running for office. [[Ken Coon]] and [[Lynn Lowe]], former [[Arkansas]] state Republican chairmen, for instance, remained as party chairman while running unsuccessfully for governor in 1974 and 1978, against [[David Pryor]] and [[Bill Clinton]], respectively.

Several of Villere's opponents claimed that his continuing role as party chairman represented a conflict of interest in that he should remain neutral when several Republicans are running for an office. There is no rule, however, that a party chairman must step down when himself running for office. [[Ken Coon]] and [[Lynn Lowe]], former [[Arkansas]] state Republican chairmen, for instance, remained as party chairman while running unsuccessfully for governor in 1974 and 1978, against [[David Pryor]] and [[Bill Clinton]], respectively.