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==Political career==​

Avoyelles Parish has been known for its colorful but mostly local politicians. One who stood out, F.O. "Potch" Didier,the sheriff from 1960 to 1980, actually spent seven days in his own jail after having been convicted of malfeasance in office.<ref name=adtt/> The mothers of Laborde and Didier had the common maiden name of Neck (pronounced "Nick") and were distant cousins.​

In 1954, the 27-year-old Laborde ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Marksville but narrowly lost to Edgar Coco (1905–1970), scion of a prominent local family. Four years later, Laborde unseated Coco. From 1962 to 1963, he was president of the Louisiana Municipal Association.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.lma.org/Past%20Presidents/LMA_PP_Pics.htm|title=Past presidents of the Louisiana Municipal Association|publisher=lma.org|accessdate=December 19, 2009; no longer on-line}}</ref>

He ran in the 1963–1964 election cycle for the since defunct position of custodian of voting machines (later elections commissioner), an office unique to Louisiana when created in the late 1950s by Governor [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]]. Laborde was defeated in the runoff election by the one-term [[incumbent]], [[Douglas Fowler]] of Coushatta in Red River Parish in northwestern Louisiana. At the time, candidates for statewide constitutional offices were often affiliated with gubernatorial tickets. Laborde ran with the slate headed by former New Orleans Mayor deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison (1912-1964), a ticket which included later state Senator [[Claude B. Duval]] of Houma in Terrebonne Parish for lieutenant governor and State Representative Jack M. Dyer of [[Baton Rouge]] for insurance commissioner. All were defeated with the election of [[John J. McKeithen]] as govror and Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915-1987) as lieutenant governor.​

After his initial election to the legislature, Laborde rarely faced serious opposition. In the 1983 primary, in which Edwards returned for a third nonconsecutive term by unseating [[Republican Party|Republican]] Governor [[David C. Treen]], Laborde prevailed over fellow Democrat Johnny Bennett, 10,633 votes (59.3 percent) to 7,346 (40.7 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=562199|title=Louisiana State House District 28|publisher=ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=November 3, 2019}}</ref> Though considered a strong Edwards ally, he was Speaker Pro Tempore in the Treen administration and later Ways and Means chairman under Governor [[Buddy Roemer]], who defeated Edwards in the 1987 primary.<ref name=nyt/>​

In 1978, Laborde was named "Avoyellean of the Year."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/la/avoyelles/|title=Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana|publisher=angelfire.com|accessdate=November 3, 2019}}</ref> In 2003, he was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.<ref name=hoffame/>​

He operated his Raymond's Department Store, which once had eight competitors downtown. The store, no longer in existence, was the oldest jobber of Dickies work wear in Louisiana and later specialized in school uniforms.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Raymond%27s+Department+Store+in+Marksville&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Raymond%27s+Department+Store&hnear=Marksville&cid=6247615245347302389|title=Raymond’s Department Store|publisher=maps.google.com|accessdate=November3, 2019}}</ref>​