Changes

Branton trailed Hobbs by 130 votes in the December primary, but in the runoff election held on January 9, 1960, he defeated Hobbs by 16 votes, 4,300 (50.01 percent) to 4,284 (49.99 percent). A Branton campaign advertisement proclaimed "Remove All Doubt. There Will Be No Question if You Elect an Avowed Segregationist," a claim that Hobbs would not pursue the same segregationist policies in the legislature as would Branton. Hobbs, a native of Sarepta in central Webster Parish, was an [[attorney]] for sixty years, eighteen as the Minden city attorney. He was active on the Webster Parish Library Board, having overseen as the board president the construction of the current library in Minden during the middle 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?n=henry-hobbs&pid=162069317#fbLoggedOut|title=Henry Hobbs obituary|publisher''The Shreveport Times''|date=January 2, 2013|accessdate=September 2, 2020}}</ref>

Branton trailed Hobbs by 130 votes in the December primary, but in the runoff election held on January 9, 1960, he defeated Hobbs by 16 votes, 4,300 (50.01 percent) to 4,284 (49.99 percent). A Branton campaign advertisement proclaimed "Remove All Doubt. There Will Be No Question if You Elect an Avowed Segregationist," a claim that Hobbs would not pursue the same segregationist policies in the legislature as would Branton. Hobbs, a native of Sarepta in central Webster Parish, was an [[attorney]] for sixty years, eighteen as the Minden city attorney. He was active on the Webster Parish Library Board, having overseen as the board president the construction of the current library in Minden during the middle 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?n=henry-hobbs&pid=162069317#fbLoggedOut|title=Henry Hobbs obituary|publisher''The Shreveport Times''|date=January 2, 2013|accessdate=September 2, 2020}}</ref>

In 1962, Branton joined his House colleague, Representative Wellborn Jack (1907-1991) of [[Shreveport]], in supporting a change in the system of how Louisiana allocates its [[electoral votes]]. The two argued that Louisiana should adopt the framework used currently only by [[Maine]] and [[Nebraska]] by which one elector is allotted for each congressional district to the winner by plurality in that district, and two at-large electoral votes are assigned to the top vote-getter statewide, plurality or majority. The plan was not adopted. It could have enabled Louisiana to choose split electors, as [[Alabama]] did in 1960. Branton said the plan would dilute the voting power of minority groups in large eastern and Midwestern cities.<ref>"Branton Predicts Finances, Integration Will Top Legislative Session," ''Minden Press,'' May 14, 1962, p. 1.</ref><ref>"Rep. Branton Has the Answe," ''Minden Herald'' (editorial), February 1, 1962, p. 2.</ref>

In 1962, Branton joined his House colleague, Representative Wellborn Jack (1907-1991) of [[Shreveport]], in supporting a change in the system of how Louisiana allocates its [[electoral votes]]. The two argued that Louisiana should adopt the framework used currently only by [[Maine]] and [[Nebraska]] by which one elector is allotted for each congressional district to the winner by plurality in that district, and two at-large electoral votes are assigned to the top vote-getter statewide, plurality or majority. The plan was not adopted. It could have enabled Louisiana to choose split electors, as Alabama did in 1960. Branton said the plan would dilute the voting power of minority groups in large eastern and Midwestern cities.<ref>"Branton Predicts Finances, Integration Will Top Legislative Session," ''Minden Press,'' May 14, 1962, p. 1.</ref><ref>"Rep. Branton Has the Answe," ''Minden Herald'' (editorial), February 1, 1962, p. 2.</ref>

In his three terms in the House, Branton served on the committees of Appropriations, Judiciary D, Wildlife and Fisheries, Public Education, and State Retirement, of which he was for a time the chairman.<ref name=obit/>

In his three terms in the House, Branton served on the committees of Appropriations, Judiciary D, Wildlife and Fisheries, Public Education, and State Retirement, of which he was for a time the chairman.<ref name=obit/>

Branton was unopposed for his second legislative term in the 1963 primary. Though he had favored the Democrat George Wallace in the early phase of the 1964 presidential election, he  switched to Goldwater after Wallace withdrew from consideration at the national party convention. Branton incorrectly predicted that Goldwater would lose the electoral vote of Louisiana because of a combination of white party loyalists, [[African-American]] voters, and machine politics in many parishes in the southern portion of the state. He urged Goldwater to seek voters whose first choice had been Wallace.<ref>"Branton says Goldwater has uphill battle to win state's electoral vote," ''Minden Herald,'' July 27, 1964, p. 1.</ref>

Branton was unopposed for his second legislative term in the 1963 primary. Though he had favored the Democrat George Wallace in the early phase of the 1964 presidential election, he  switched to Goldwater after Wallace withdrew from consideration at the national party convention. Branton incorrectly predicted that Goldwater would lose the electoral vote of Louisiana because of a combination of white party loyalists, [[African-American]] voters, and machine politics in many parishes in the southern portion of the state. He urged Goldwater to seek voters whose first choice had been Wallace.<ref>"Branton says Goldwater has uphill battle to win state's electoral vote," ''Minden Herald,'' July 27, 1964, p. 1.</ref>

In the 1966 legislative session, Branton listed the establishment of Louisiana State University in Shreveport, which began in 1967, with the later Health Sciences Center, a medical school, were his highest priorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025210344/http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15140coll23/id/2266

In the 1966 legislative session, Branton listed the establishment of Louisiana State University in Shreveport, which began in 1967, with the later Health Sciences Center, a medical school, were his highest priorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025210344/http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15140coll23/id/2266

|title=Legislators support med bonds|publisher=''[[Shreveport Journal]]''|author=Harry Taylor|date=May 1966|accessdate=October 25, 2014}}</ref>

|title=Legislators support med bonds|publisher=''[[Shreveport Journal]]''|author=Harry Taylor|date=May 1966|accessdate=October 25, 2014}}</ref>