Changes

In December 1989, Dastugue in his third state House term announced that he would run as a Republican for the [[U.S. Senate]] in a bid to unseat popular three-term Democratic incumbent [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], of [[Shreveport]].<ref>"Dastugue enters Senate race," ''[[Minden Press-Herald]],'' December 20, 1989, p. 8.</ref> However, when the state GOP held a convention on January 13, 1990, the delegates endorsed then state Senator [[Ben Bagert]] of New Orleans as the official party choice. Dastugue then abandoned plans to make the race. So did another candidate, Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005), at the time the Louisiana Secretary of State and a son of former [[Governor]] [[John J. McKeithen]]. Like Dastugue and Bagert, McKeithen was a former Democrat. Bagert later withdrew from the contest, and Johnston defeated the remaining Republican candidate, state Representative [[David Duke]], then of Jefferson Parish and a former figure in the Knights of the [[Ku Klux Klan]].​

In December 1989, Dastugue in his third state House term announced that he would run as a Republican for the [[U.S. Senate]] in a bid to unseat popular three-term Democratic incumbent [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], of [[Shreveport]].<ref>"Dastugue enters Senate race," ''[[Minden Press-Herald]],'' December 20, 1989, p. 8.</ref> However, when the state GOP held a convention on January 13, 1990, the delegates endorsed then state Senator [[Ben Bagert]] of New Orleans as the official party choice. Dastugue then abandoned plans to make the race. So did another candidate, Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005), at the time the Louisiana Secretary of State and a son of former [[Governor]] [[John J. McKeithen]]. Like Dastugue and Bagert, McKeithen was a former Democrat. Bagert later withdrew from the contest, and Johnston defeated the remaining Republican candidate, state Representative [[David Duke]], then of Jefferson Parish and a former figure in the Knights of the [[Ku Klux Klan]].​

​

​

In 1995, rather than seeking a fifth term in the legislature, Dastugue entered the [[Governor|gubernatorial]] race as the early official choice of the Republican state leadership. However, he withdrew from the governor's contest when he failed to make headway in the race to raise money. Thereafter, most [[Republican Party|GOP]] leaders coalesced behind state Senator [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]], of St. Mary Parish, another who switched from Democratic to Republican affiliation at the beginning of the campaign. Two other Republicans, also former Democrats and former governors, ran too, [[Buddy Roemer]], who in 1991 had upset the [[right-to-life]] contingent of the party, and former Governor [[David C. Treen]], who soon withdrew from consideration. Ultimately, Foster handily won the election in a runoff with the [[African-American]] Democrat Cleo Fields, who became a state senator on January 13, 2020.​

In 1995, rather than seeking a fifth term in the legislature, Dastugue entered the [[Governor|gubernatorial]] race as the early official choice of the Republican state leadership. However, he withdrew from the governor's contest when he failed to make headway in the race to raise money. Thereafter, most [[Republican Party|GOP]] leaders coalesced behind state Senator [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]], of St. Mary Parish, another who switched from Democratic to Republican affiliation at the beginning of the campaign. Two other Republicans, also former Democrats and former governors, ran too, [[Buddy Roemer]], who in 1991 had thwarted the [[right to life]] contingent of the party, and former Governor [[David C. Treen]], who soon withdrew from consideration. Ultimately, Foster handily won the election in a runoff with the [[African-American]] Democrat Cleo Fields, who became a state senator on January 13, 2020.​

​

​

===The call for levee board reforms==

===The call for levee board reforms==