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Treen held on to his House seat in the elections of 1976 and 1978, and entered the gubernatorial campaign of 1979 to choose a successor to term-limited Governor [[Edwin Edwards]], a Democrat. Cade was his campaign manager, and he devoted his activities nearly 24-7 to electing his friend as governor. Frank Spooner recalls how Cade had berated him for not committing immediately to the ​Treen candidacy. Spooner had favored waiting to see if another candidate, perhaps Treen's U.S. House colleague, William Henson Moore, might also want to run for governor. "I've done a lot for Dave Treen too," Spooner recalled having told Cade.<ref name=lahistory/>​

Treen held on to his House seat in the elections of 1976 and 1978, and entered the gubernatorial campaign of 1979 to choose a successor to term-limited Governor [[Edwin Edwards]], a Democrat. Cade was his campaign manager, and he devoted his activities nearly 24-7 to electing his friend as governor. Frank Spooner recalls how Cade had berated him for not committing immediately to the ​Treen candidacy. Spooner had favored waiting to see if another candidate, perhaps Treen's U.S. House colleague, William Henson Moore, might also want to run for governor. "I've done a lot for Dave Treen too," Spooner recalled having told Cade.<ref name=lahistory/>​

 

Cade viewed Treen's narrow victory in 1979 as "a significant turning point in Louisiana politics." He also commended the approximately 15,000 Treen volunteers:  "We bucked a tremendous tide. I don't think that ever again that Republicans will meet the same tide of opposition because they are Republicans." Yet four years later, when Cade again wore the hat of campaign manager, he watched in dismay as Treen was unseated by a nearly 2-1 margin by Edwin Edwards.​

Cade viewed Treen's narrow victory in 1979 as "a significant turning point in Louisiana politics." He also commended the approximately 15,000 Treen volunteers:  "We bucked a tremendous tide. I don't think that ever again that Republicans will meet the same tide of opposition because they are Republicans." Yet four years later, when Cade again wore the hat of campaign manager, he watched in dismay as Treen was unseated by a nearly 2-1 margin by Edwin Edwards.​

 

Cade declined appointment to any state position under Treen but continued as an unpaid advisor and chief aide to the new governor.  Cade was also appointed to the [[Louisiana State University]] Board of Supervisors, having served until 1986.​<ref name=obit/>

Cade declined appointment to any state position under Treen but continued as an unpaid advisor and chief aide to the new governor.  Cade was also appointed to the [[Louisiana State University]] Board of Supervisors, having served until 1986.​<ref name=obit/>

 

[[Ron Gomez]], then a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from [[Lafayette]] and much later a Republican convert, recalls Cade as "quiet, ascerbic, and impersonal, in contrast to the gregarious red-haired, florid-faced [[William A. Nungesser]], then of [[New Orleans]], another long-term Treen friend who was the executive secretary and chief executive assistant to the governor.<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative'' ([[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]]: Zemog Publishing, 2000), pp. 65, ISBN=0-9700156-0-7</ref>​

[[Ron Gomez]], then a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from [[Lafayette]] and much later a Republican convert, recalls Cade as "quiet, ascerbic, and impersonal, in contrast to the gregarious red-haired, florid-faced [[William A. Nungesser]], then of [[New Orleans]], another long-term Treen friend who was the executive secretary and chief executive assistant to the governor.<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative'' ([[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]]: Zemog Publishing, 2000), pp. 65, ISBN=0-9700156-0-7</ref>​

 

In his autobiography, published in 2000, Gomez recalls a meeting with Treen and Cade regarding the proposed but failed Coastal Wetlands Environmental Levy, a tax strongly opposed by the oil and [[natural gas]] industry. Gomez told Treen of the opposition to CWEL in the Lafayette area, of potential questions of constitutionality in regard to the tax, and of his own personal misgivings:​

In his autobiography, published in 2000, Gomez recalls a meeting with Treen and Cade regarding the proposed but failed Coastal Wetlands Environmental Levy, a tax strongly opposed by the oil and [[natural gas]] industry. Gomez told Treen of the opposition to CWEL in the Lafayette area, of potential questions of constitutionality in regard to the tax, and of his own personal misgivings:​

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<blockquote>​

"Cade, a cold, ascerbic man who had never given me the time of day in the halls, the elevators or the governor's office, suddenly said, 'All right, Gomez, what do you want?' I was a little stunned with the question, especially coming from a self-professed arch-conservative, good-government type such as John Cade. I simply said, 'Mr. Cade, you can't build a bridge high enough or a highway long enough to make me vote for this bill.'"<ref>Ron Gomez, pp. 122–123.</ref>​

ade, a cold, ascerbic man who had never given me the time of day in the halls, the elevators or the governor's office, suddenly said, 'All right, Gomez, what do you want?' I was a little stunned with the question, especially coming from a self-professed arch-conservative, good-government type such as John Cade. I simply said, 'Mr. Cade, you can't build a bridge high enough or a highway long enough to make me vote for this bill.'"<ref>Ron Gomez, pp. 122–123.</ref>​</blockquote>

 

==Cade's legacy==​

==Cade's legacy==​

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Cade died of an apparent [[heart]] attack at the age of fifty-nine. He was a member of the [[Christian Science]] Church.​<ref name=obit/>

Cade died of an apparent [[heart]] attack at the age of fifty-nine. He was a member of the [[Christian Science]] Church.​<ref name=obit/>

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David Treen called his friend Cade "the unsung hero of the Louisiana Republican Party. Those close to him know how much he's given. But because of his nature, he didn't [sic] ever blow his horn."​<ref name=obit/>

David Treen called his friend the unsung hero of the Louisiana Republican Party. Those close to him know how much he's given. But because of his nature, he didn't [sic] ever blow his horn."​<ref name=obit/>

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Then [[U.S. Representative]] Clyde Cecil Holloway (1943-2016)  recalled that Cade had "in my early days been very, very helpful to me. He was a Republican when you could hold a convention in a telephone booth." Holloway, who served in Congress from 1987 to 1993, said that Cade came a long way toward achieving his goal of a two-party system in Louisiana. "The ball is definitely rolling. If only he'd had a few more years  . . . to be around to see it," Holloway said.​<ref name=obit/>

Then [[U.S. Representative]] Clyde Cecil Holloway (1943-2016)  recalled that Cade had "in my early days been very, very helpful to me. He was a Republican when you could hold a convention in a telephone booth." Holloway, who served in Congress from 1987 to 1993, said that Cade came a long way toward achieving his goal of a two-party system in Louisiana. "The ball is definitely rolling. If only he'd had a few more years  . . . to be around to see it," Holloway said.​<ref name=obit/>