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A native of [[Shreveport]] and a long-time resident of [[Baton Rouge]], Long first won his Senate seat in 1948, when he defeated future governor of Louisiana, [[Robert F. Kennon]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], in the Democratic primary special election to fill the two years remaining in the term of Senator John H. Overton, who died in office. (There was an interim senator, William C. Feazel, a Long supporter.) One day shy of his thirtieth birthday, Long then handily defeated the [[Republican Party|Repubican]] nominee, [[Clem S. Clarke]], a Shreveport oilman and supporter of [[Thomas Dewey]] for president. Leander Perez, a Louisiana political boss from Plaquemines Parish and then the head of the state party central committee, attempted to assign the Democratic designation to Clarke, rather than Long, but he was forced to yield to the powerful Long forces. At the time [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]], not [[U.S. President]] [[Harry Truman]], was the official Democratic presidential nominee in Louisiana and three other former [[Confederate]] states. Had Clarke been permitted to run under the Thurmond and the Dewey banners, it was speculated that he could have defeated Long and sidelined a long political career in the making. Instead, Long ran on the Thurmond and Truman tickets. The Longs endorsed Truman in his successful election against Dewey and Thurmond.  

A native of [[Shreveport]] and a long-time resident of [[Baton Rouge]], Long first won his Senate seat in 1948, when he defeated future governor of Louisiana, [[Robert F. Kennon]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], in the Democratic primary special election to fill the two years remaining in the term of Senator John H. Overton, who died in office. (There was an interim senator, William C. Feazel, a Long supporter.) One day shy of his thirtieth birthday, Long then handily defeated the [[Republican Party|Repubican]] nominee, [[Clem S. Clarke]], a Shreveport oilman and supporter of [[Thomas Dewey]] for president. Leander Perez, a Louisiana political boss from Plaquemines Parish and then the head of the state party central committee, attempted to assign the Democratic designation to Clarke, rather than Long, but he was forced to yield to the powerful Long forces. At the time [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]], not [[U.S. President]] [[Harry Truman]], was the official Democratic presidential nominee in Louisiana and three other former [[Confederate]] states. Had Clarke been permitted to run under the Thurmond and the Dewey banners, it was speculated that he could have defeated Long and sidelined a long political career in the making. Instead, Long ran on the Thurmond and Truman tickets. The Longs endorsed Truman in his successful election against Dewey and Thurmond.  

In the 1962 general election, Long defeated Taylor Walters O'Hearn of Shreveport, who two years later became one of the first two Republicans elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives since [[Reconstruction]]. In 1974, the Republicans could not recruit a candidate to oppose Long because of the likelihoof of failure, explained the then party chairman [[James H. Boyce]]. In 1980, in his last Senate race, Long defeated [[Woody Jenkins]] of Baton Rouge, then a Democrat who ran again for the Senate in 1996 as a Republican against former Senator [[Mary Landrieu]]. As a youth, Jenkins had been a page for O'Hearn and Republican Morley A. Hudson in the Louisiana House, in which Jenkins himself served from 1972 to 2000.

In the 1962 general election, Long defeated Taylor Walters O'Hearn (1907-1997) of Shreveport, who two years later became one of the first two Republicans elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives since [[Reconstruction]]. In 1974, the Republicans could not recruit a candidate to oppose Long because of the likelihoof of failure, explained the then party chairman [[James H. Boyce]]. In 1980, in his last Senate race, Long defeated [[Woody Jenkins]] of Baton Rouge, then a Democrat who ran again for the Senate in 1996 as a Republican against former Senator [[Mary Landrieu]]. As a youth, Jenkins had been a page for O'Hearn and Republican Morley A. Hudson in the Louisiana House, in which Jenkins himself served from 1972 to 2000.

Long was known for a humorous quote about taxation. One version says, "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax that fellow behind that tree!" Long retired from the Senate, and the Democrat [[John Breaux]] won the seat, which he held for three terms. Long became a high-powered lawyer-lobbyist on leaving the Senate. From 1972 until 1987, his senatorial colleague was fellow Democrat [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], of Shreveport, who also became a lobbyist on retirement from the Senate. From 1948 until 1972, Long's Louisiana colleague was [[Allen J. Ellender]], a Democrat from Terrebonne Parish, who like Long was known for his opposition to the [[Joseph McCarthy]] communist investigations of the 1950s..  

Long was known for a humorous quote about taxation. One version says, "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax that fellow behind that tree!" Long retired from the Senate, and the Democrat [[John Breaux]] won the seat, which he held for three terms. Long became a high-powered lawyer-lobbyist on leaving the Senate. From 1972 until 1987, his senatorial colleague was fellow Democrat [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], of Shreveport, who also became a lobbyist on retirement from the Senate. From 1948 until 1972, Long's Louisiana colleague was [[Allen J. Ellender]], a Democrat from Terrebonne Parish, who like Long was known for his opposition to the [[Joseph McCarthy]] communist investigations of the 1950s..  

[[Category:United States Navy]]

[[Category:United States Navy]]

[[Category:World War II]]

[[Category:World War II]]