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In 1961, Waggonner was chosen president of (1) the Louisiana School Boards Association and (2) the United Schools Committee of Louisiana. He had also been instrumental, along with William Rainach, in the founding of the White Citizens Council in the late 1950s.

In 1961, Waggonner was chosen president of (1) the Louisiana School Boards Association and (2) the United Schools Committee of Louisiana. He had also been instrumental, along with William Rainach, in the founding of the White Citizens Council in the late 1950s.

Waggonner was initially elected to Congress in a [[special election]] held in December 1961 to succeed Democrat Thomas Overton Brooks, who died in office. He defeated the Republican choice, [[Charlton Lyons]], an oilman from [[Shreveport]] but like Waggonner's former intra-party opponent for state comptroller was a native of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish. Waggonner carried the backing of the conservative ''[[Shreveport Journal]],'' edited at the time by [[George W. Shannon]]. Lyons subsequently ran for governor in 1964 against Democrat [[John J. McKeithen]], that time with Shannon's editorial support. Thereafter, Waggonner rarely had opposition. In 1968, he faced an [[African American]] challenger, fellow Democrat Leon Tarver of Shreveport, the brother of a current state Senator, Greg Tarver.

Waggonner was initially elected to Congress in a [[special election]] held in December 1961 to succeed Democrat Thomas Overton Brooks, who died in office. He defeated the Republican choice, [[business]]man [[Charlton Lyons]], an oilman from [[Shreveport]] but like Waggonner's former intra-party opponent for state comptroller Lyons was a native of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish. Waggonner carried the backing of the conservative ''[[Shreveport Journal]],'' edited at the time by [[George W. Shannon]]. Lyons subsequently ran for governor in 1964 against Democrat [[John J. McKeithen]], that time with Shannon's editorial support. Thereafter, Waggonner rarely had opposition.On December 19, 1961, Waggonner won a [[special election]] to succeed long-time U.S. Representative Thomas Overton Brooks, who had won his thirteenth consecutive term in the House in 1960 by defeating the Republican [[Fred McClanahan]] of [[Shreveport]]. When Brooks died in office in the first year of his last term, Waggonner filed in the [[special election]] to succeed him. Already, Waggonner had announced his intention to oppose Brooks for re-nomination in the 1962 Democratic [[primary]]. Waggonner's decision was spurred by Brooks' congressional vote to expand the [[House Rules Committee]] to permit [[Speaker]] [[Sam Rayburn]] to add new [[liberal]] members to the panel and thus stymie [[conservative]]s in both parties on the committee.

 

 

In 1968, Waggonner easily turned back an [[African American]] primary challenger, Leon R. Tarver, II, later president of the historically black Southern University System] Tarver's family operates a Shreveport [[funeral home]]. His brother, Gregory "Greg" Tarver, a former Shreveport City Council member, is a long-term state senator for Caddo Parish. Over the years, Waggonner had only token opponents. He did not seek a tenth term in [[United States House elections, 1978|1978]].

In 1968, Waggonner spoke against the legislation introduced by [[Moderate Republican]] U.S. Representative Robert McClory of [[Illinois]], which designates the third Monday of February as what has become "President's Day," rather than the traditional February 22 holiday in honor of the birth of [[George Washington]]. Waggonner told the sponsors of the bill: “You have further commercialized and made further meaningless something that has the respect of the people of this country.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://amgreatness.com/2018/02/18/make-washingtons-birthday-great/|title=Make Washington’s Birthday Great Again|author=John Fonte|publisher=Amgreatness.com|date=February 18, 2018|accessdate=June 28, 2020}}</ref>

In 1968, Waggonner spoke against the legislation introduced by [[Moderate Republican]] U.S. Representative Robert McClory of [[Illinois]], which designates the third Monday of February as what has become "President's Day," rather than the traditional February 22 holiday in honor of the birth of [[George Washington]]. Waggonner told the sponsors of the bill: “You have further commercialized and made further meaningless something that has the respect of the people of this country.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://amgreatness.com/2018/02/18/make-washingtons-birthday-great/|title=Make Washington’s Birthday Great Again|author=John Fonte|publisher=Amgreatness.com|date=February 18, 2018|accessdate=June 28, 2020}}</ref>