Changes

In 1971, Nix left the Delta Economic Development District to enter the political area. He was the manager of field organization for former [[U.S. Representative]] [[Gillis Long]] of Louisiana's 8th congressional district, since disbanded, in Long's second unsuccessful attempt to win the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Governor|gubernatorial]] nomination. The victor and subsequent governor, [[Edwin Edwards]], invited Nix in 1972 to become his executive assistant. In 1974, Edwards elevated Nix to chief executive assistant with duties including liaison with the state congressional delegation,<ref name=lapolmu>{{cite web|url=https://www.lapoliticalmuseum.com/inductees.php|title=J. Kelly Nix|publisher=[[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]]|accessdate=February 8, 2020}}</ref><ref name=coxfuneralhome/>  which once again included Representative Gillis Long, who returned to Congress for a second stint from 1973 until his death in 1985, and also two [[Republican Party|Republican]] members, [[David C. Treen]] and William Henson Moore of Baton Rouge.​

In 1971, Nix left the Delta Economic Development District to enter the political area. He was the manager of field organization for former [[U.S. Representative]] [[Gillis Long]] of Louisiana's 8th congressional district, since disbanded, in Long's second unsuccessful attempt to win the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Governor|gubernatorial]] nomination. The victor and subsequent governor, [[Edwin Edwards]], invited Nix in 1972 to become his executive assistant. In 1974, Edwards elevated Nix to chief executive assistant with duties including liaison with the state congressional delegation,<ref name=lapolmu>{{cite web|url=https://www.lapoliticalmuseum.com/inductees.php|title=J. Kelly Nix|publisher=[[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]]|accessdate=February 8, 2020}}</ref><ref name=coxfuneralhome/>  which once again included Representative Gillis Long, who returned to Congress for a second stint from 1973 until his death in 1985, and also two [[Republican Party|Republican]] members, [[David C. Treen]] and William Henson Moore of Baton Rouge.​

In 1975, Nix unseated fellow Democrat [[Louis J. Michot]] of [[Lafayette]], who served a single term as state education superintendent. In 1979, he defeated in a multi-candidate field his strongest challenger, another fellow Democrat, [[Thomas Clausen]] of Baton Rouge, who used the yellow school bus as his campaing prop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.death-record.com/d/n/Thomas-Clausen|title=Thomas Clausen Death Records|publisher=death-record.com|accessdate=October 7, 2013}}</ref> Clausen succceed Nix as superintendent in 1984. The Louisiana school superintendent, though no longer elected, is considered a powerful position in the state, having once been held by such figures as [[T. H. Harris]], [[Shelby M. Jackson]], [[Bill Dodd]], and recently [[John White]].

In 1975, Nix unseated fellow Democrat [[Louis J. Michot]] of [[Lafayette]], who served a single term as state education superintendent. In 1979, he defeated in a multi-candidate field his strongest challenger, another fellow Democrat, [[Thomas Clausen]] of Baton Rouge, who used the yellow school bus as his campaing prop. Clausen succceed Nix as superintendent in 1984. The Louisiana school superintendent, though no longer elected, is considered a powerful position in the state, having once been held by such figures as [[T. H. Harris]], [[Shelby M. Jackson]], [[Bill Dodd]], and recently [[John White]].

===Controversies===

===Controversies===