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Late in 1963, after Kennon's uncle failed to gain a Democratic runoff slot in a gubernatorial comeback attempt, Ed Kennon, became the chairman of the Webster Parish Morrison for Governor Committee. In a public speech, Kennon endorsed former [[New Orleans]] [[Mayor]] [[Chep Morrison|deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison, Sr.]], who was making a third unsuccessful bid for governor. (Robert Kennon himself sat out the runoff.) Despite Kennon's assistance, Morrison fared poorly in north Louisiana and lost the runoff to [[John J. McKeithen]], a folksy lawyer from tiny Columbia in Caldwell Parish south of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]]. Coincidentally, gubernatorial candidate McKeithen then held the PSC seat to which Kennon would be elected eight years later.

Late in 1963, after Kennon's uncle failed to gain a Democratic runoff slot in a gubernatorial comeback attempt, Ed Kennon, became the chairman of the Webster Parish Morrison for Governor Committee. In a public speech, Kennon endorsed former [[New Orleans]] [[Mayor]] [[Chep Morrison|deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison, Sr.]], who was making a third unsuccessful bid for governor. (Robert Kennon himself sat out the runoff.) Despite Kennon's assistance, Morrison fared poorly in north Louisiana and lost the runoff to [[John J. McKeithen]], a folksy lawyer from tiny Columbia in Caldwell Parish south of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]]. Coincidentally, gubernatorial candidate McKeithen then held the PSC seat to which Kennon would be elected eight years later.

On November 6, 1971, Kennon ran unsuccessfully in a 10-candidate Democratic field for lieutenant governor in an effort to succeed the retiring Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915-1987) of Franklin in St. Mary Parish in south Louisiana. Aycock instead ran for governor. Kennon finished third with 162,944 votes. Other candidates in the field included two bankers who served in the legislature, state Senator Jamar Adcock of Monroe and State Representative Percy Joseph "P.J." Mills of Shreveport, who finished narrowly behind Kennon in fourth place. Mills later headed Blue Cross Blue Shield in his native [[Baton Rouge]]. The party nomination and the general election went to former New Orleans City Councilman [[Jimmy Fitzmorris|James E. "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr.]], a former Morrison protégé, won the party nomination and then the general election. After he defeated Adcock in the party runoff election, Fitzmorris easily dispatched the Republican candidate, former State Representative Morley A. Hudson of Shreveport. Closed primaries ended in Louisiana in 1975, but they returned briefly in 2008 only for congressional races.  

On November 6, 1971, Kennon ran unsuccessfully in a 10-candidate Democratic field for lieutenant governor in an effort to succeed the retiring Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915-1987) of Franklin in St. Mary Parish in south Louisiana. Aycock instead ran for governor. Kennon finished third with 162,944 votes. Other candidates in the field included two bankers who served in the legislature, state Senator Jamar Adcock of Monroe and State Representative Percy Joseph "P.J." Mills of Shreveport, who finished narrowly behind Kennon in fourth place. Mills later headed Blue Cross Blue Shield in his native [[Baton Rouge]]. The party nomination and the general election went to former New Orleans City Councilman [[Jimmy Fitzmorris|James E. "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr.]], a former Morrison protégé, won the party nomination and then the general election. After he defeated Adcock in the party runoff election, Fitzmorris easily dispatched the Republican candidate, former State Representative [[Morley Hudson]] of Shreveport. Closed primaries ended in Louisiana in 1975, but they returned briefly in 2008 only for congressional races.  

In the lieutenant governor's race, Kennon also had to compete with a second candidate from Webster Parish, outgoing State Representative Parey Pershing Branton, Sr. (1918-2011), of [[rural]] Shongaloo. Branton was allied with Democrat gubernatorial candidate [[John Schwegmann|John Gerald Schwegmann, Jr.]]  of Jefferson Parish in the New Orleans suburbs. Ironically, Schwegmann later became one of Kennon's colleagues on the Public Service Commission. Statewide, Branton polled only 53,295 votes, fewer than one third of the votes that Kennon had amassed.

In the lieutenant governor's race, Kennon also had to compete with a second candidate from Webster Parish, outgoing State Representative Parey Pershing Branton, Sr. (1918-2011), of [[rural]] Shongaloo. Branton was allied with Democrat gubernatorial candidate [[John Schwegmann|John Gerald Schwegmann, Jr.]]  of Jefferson Parish in the New Orleans suburbs. Ironically, Schwegmann later became one of Kennon's colleagues on the Public Service Commission. Statewide, Branton polled only 53,295 votes, fewer than one third of the votes that Kennon had amassed.