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Bridges was born in nearby [[rural]] Athens in Claiborne Parish but moved to Minden in 1907, where he operated a clothing store. He was first elected mayor in the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[primary]] in the spring of 1928, when [[Robert F. Kennon]], then twenty-six and later the [[governor]] of Louisiana from 1952 to 1956, declined to seek a second two-year term.<ref name=obit>"Bridges Rites Held Monday: Former Mayor Succumbs to Heart Attack", ''Minden Herald'', April 14, 1939, p. 1.</ref> The position became four years in 1954 and is now filled in the fall of the national mid-term elections.

Bridges was born in nearby [[rural]] Athens in Claiborne Parish but moved to Minden in 1907, where he operated a clothing store. He was first elected mayor in the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[primary]] in the spring of 1928, when [[Robert F. Kennon]], then twenty-six and later the [[governor]] of Louisiana from 1952 to 1956, declined to seek a second two-year term.<ref name=obit>"Bridges Rites Held Monday: Former Mayor Succumbs to Heart Attack", ''Minden Herald'', April 14, 1939, p. 1.</ref> The position became four years in 1954 and is now filled in the fall of the national mid-term elections.

   

   

Bridges was reelected on April 8, 1930, when he defeated Coleman Lindsey, later a state senator and the lieutenant governor in the abbreviated 1939–1940 term of Governor [[Earl Long]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lahistory.org/site29.php|title=Isaac Coleman Lindsey|publisher=Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=May 24, 2011}}</ref> In that contest, Bridges polled 519 votes to 402 for Lindsey.<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 10, 1930, p. 1.</ref> In 1932, however, Bridges was unseated by his sole opponent, former Mayor [[Connell Fort]], who had preceded Kennon as mayor from 1922 to 1926. Fort polled 709 votes to Bridges's 437 in the primary held on April 12, 1932.<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 15, 1932, p. 1.</ref>

Bridges was reelected on April 8, 1930, when he defeated [[Coleman Lindsey]], later a state senator and the lieutenant governor in the abbreviated 1939–1940 term of Governor [[Earl Long]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lahistory.org/site29.php|title=Isaac Coleman Lindsey|publisher=Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=May 24, 2011}}</ref> In that contest, Bridges polled 519 votes to 402 for Lindsey.<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 10, 1930, p. 1.</ref> In 1932, however, Bridges was unseated by his sole opponent, former Mayor [[Connell Fort]], who had preceded Kennon as mayor from 1922 to 1926. Fort polled 709 votes to Bridges's 437 in the primary held on April 12, 1932.<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 15, 1932, p. 1.</ref>

   

   

In the primary election held on April 10, 1934, Fort was eliminated from the race,<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 13, 1934, p. 1.</ref> and Bridges then faced his eventual successor as mayor, [[David William Thomas]], a former university professor, journalist, publisher, and lawyer, who was a native of [[Wales]]. In the runoff election held on May 15, Bridges handily defeated Thomas, 624 to 377.<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 18, 1934, p. 1.</ref> In March 1936, Thomas in turn unseated Bridges, 736 to 682, to secure the first of his two consecutive terms in the office.<ref>"David W. Thomas Elected Mayor", ''Minden Herald'', March 3, 1936, p. 1.</ref>After his defeat, Bridges returned to store keeping with the opening of a men's furnishings business in the Webb Building in Minden.<ref>"Mayor will soon go back to store keeping in Minden", ''Minden Herald'', May 15, 1936, p. 1.</ref>  

In the primary election held on April 10, 1934, Fort was eliminated from the race,<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 13, 1934, p. 1.</ref> and Bridges then faced his eventual successor as mayor, [[David William Thomas]], a former university professor, journalist, publisher, and lawyer, who was a native of [[Wales]]. In the runoff election held on May 15, Bridges handily defeated Thomas, 624 to 377.<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 18, 1934, p. 1.</ref> In March 1936, Thomas in turn unseated Bridges, 736 to 682, to secure the first of his two consecutive terms in the office.<ref>"David W. Thomas Elected Mayor", ''Minden Herald'', March 3, 1936, p. 1.</ref>After his defeat, Bridges returned to store keeping with the opening of a men's furnishings business in the Webb Building in Minden.<ref>"Mayor will soon go back to store keeping in Minden", ''Minden Herald'', May 15, 1936, p. 1.</ref>