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'''Leslie Allen Farnum''', known as '''Les Farnum''' (born July 31, 1957), is the District 33 state representative for Calcasieu Parish in the southwestern portion of [[Louisiana]].

'''Leslie Allen Farnum''', known as '''Les Farnum''' (born July 31, 1957), is the District 33 state representative for Calcasieu Parish in the southwestern portion of [[Louisiana]].

To win his seat, Farnum changed parties from [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] to [[Republican Party|Republican]]. With 6,208 votes (56 percent), he unseated the short-term Representative [[Stuart Moss]], a Republican who received 4,793 votes (44 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019.</ref>  

To win his seat, Farnum changed parties from [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] to [[Republican Party|Republican]]. With 6,208 votes (56 percent), he unseated the short-term more [[conservative]] Representative [[Stuart Moss]], a Republican who received 4,793 votes (44 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019.</ref>  

In 2018, the District 33 seat opened when incumbent Representative [[Mike Danahay]], a Democart,  was elected [[mayor]] of Sulphur, a city twelve miles east of the larger [[Lake Charles]].  At the time Farnum was a member of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, an elected position. On November 6, 2018, Farnum ran for the House seat as a Democrat and polled 4,883 votes (39 percent). The victor for the year-long term was  Republican [[Stuart Moss]], who received  6,795 votes (54 percent). A second Democrat in the race, Teri Ann Estes Johnson (born July 10, 1959), the president of the Calcasieu Federation of Teachers, finished with 912 votes (7 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kplctv.com/2018/10/22/three-running-state-rep-west-calcasieu/|title=Three running for State Rep. 33 in west Calcasieu|publisher=KPLC-TV|date=October 22, 2018|author=Theresa Schmidt|accessdate=October 26, 2018}}</ref> <ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 6, 2018.</ref>

In 2018, the District 33 seat opened when incumbent Representative [[Mike Danahay]], a Democart,  was elected [[mayor]] of Sulphur, a city twelve miles east of the larger [[Lake Charles]].  At the time Farnum was a member of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, an elected position. On November 6, 2018, Farnum ran for the House seat as a Democrat and polled 4,883 votes (39 percent). The victor for the year-long term was  Republican [[Stuart Moss]], who received  6,795 votes (54 percent). A second Democrat in the race, Teri Ann Estes Johnson (born July 10, 1959), the president of the Calcasieu Federation of Teachers, finished with 912 votes (7 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kplctv.com/2018/10/22/three-running-state-rep-west-calcasieu/|title=Three running for State Rep. 33 in west Calcasieu|publisher=KPLC-TV|date=October 22, 2018|author=Theresa Schmidt|accessdate=October 26, 2018}}</ref> <ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 6, 2018.</ref>

Moss' defeat came only eleven months after his election as representative.  

Moss' defeat came only eleven months after his election as representative.  

On January 13, 2020, Farnum was among twenty-three Republican lawmakers who voted for the [[Moderate Republican]] [[Clay Schexnayder]], whose election as [[Speaker]] depended heavily on Democratic votes.

On January 13, 2020, Farnum was among twenty-three Republican lawmakers, known as the [[Louisiana Republican Fraud Squad|Fraud Squad]], who voted for the [[Moderate Republican]] [[Clay Schexnayder]] of Ascension Parish, whose election as [[Speaker]] depended heavily on the votes of thirty-five Democratic lawmakers, along with the Republican defectors.

==References==

==References==