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McPherson was first elected to the Senate in 1983, when he resided in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]]. He unseated incumbent fellow Democrat Edward Gordon "Ned" Randolph, Jr., who subsequently served from 1986 to 2006 as the [[mayor]] of Alexandria. Randolph's defeat came in the same election cycle that [[Edwin Edwards]] staged his [[Governor|gubernatorial]] comeback for a third nonconsecutive term against incumbent Republican [[David C. Treen]].

McPherson was first elected to the Senate in 1983, when he resided in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]]. He unseated incumbent fellow Democrat Edward Gordon "Ned" Randolph, Jr., who subsequently served from 1986 to 2006 as the [[mayor]] of Alexandria. Randolph's defeat came in the same election cycle that [[Edwin Edwards]] staged his [[Governor|gubernatorial]] comeback for a third nonconsecutive term against incumbent Republican [[David C. Treen]].

   

   

In 1987, McPherson defeated [[Jock Scott]], a Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] and an outgoing member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who sought to move up to the Senate, and former Senator [[Cecil R. Blair]] of Lecompte in south Rapides Parish who was seeking a comeback, having been defeated for the seat in 1975 by Ned Randolph.<ref>Primary election returns, October 24, 1987, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved October 24, 2011</ref> McPherson won again on November 16, 1991, over the Republican Robert W. Bates,  23,428 votes (56.8 percent) to 17,819 (43.2 percent). <ref>General election returns, November 19, 1991, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved October 24, 2011</ref> Three other Democratic candidates, including state Representative Charles R. Herring, then of Alexandria, and singer Jay Chevalier, had been eliminated in the primary election held a month earlier on October 19. <ref>Primary election returns, October 19, 1991, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 29, 2014</ref>

In 1987, McPherson defeated [[Jock Scott]], a Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] and an outgoing member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who sought to move up to the Senate, and former Senator [[Cecil R. Blair]] of Lecompte in south Rapides Parish who was seeking a comeback, having been defeated for the seat in 1975 by Ned Randolph.<ref>Primary election returns, October 24, 1987, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved October 24, 2011</ref> McPherson won again on November 16, 1991, over the Republican [[Robert W. Bates]],  23,428 votes (56.8 percent) to 17,819 (43.2 percent). <ref>General election returns, November 19, 1991, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved October 24, 2011</ref> Three other Democratic candidates, including state Representative Charles R. Herring, then of Alexandria, and singer Jay Chevalier, had been eliminated in the primary election held a month earlier on October 19. <ref>Primary election returns, October 19, 1991, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 29, 2014</ref>

McPherson did not seek a fourth consecutive term in 1995. Voters chose the [[conservative]] Democrat [[B. G. Dyess]], an ordained [[Southern Baptist]] minister who had been the Rapides Parish registrar of voters from 1964 to 1988. When Dyess did not seek a second term in 1999, McPherson returned to claim the seat once again, having defeated the Republican state Representative [[Randy Wiggins]] of Pineville. <ref>Primary election returns, October 23, 1999, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved October 24, 2011</ref>

McPherson did not seek a fourth consecutive term in 1995. Voters chose the [[conservative]] Democrat [[B. G. Dyess]], an ordained [[Southern Baptist]] minister who had been the Rapides Parish registrar of voters from 1964 to 1988. When Dyess did not seek a second term in 1999, McPherson returned to claim the seat once again, having defeated the Republican state Representative [[Randy Wiggins]] of Pineville. <ref>Primary election returns, October 23, 1999, Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved October 24, 2011</ref>