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In the House, Bagert held leadership positions including the chairmanships of the Criminal Justice Committee and the Commerce, Insurance, and Banking Committee. In 1983, he was elected to the first of two terms to the state Senate. In his last election victory, in the 1987 nonpartisan blanket primary, Bagert defeated his Republican opponent, Harry T. Begg, III, 23,953 votes (89 percent) to 3,043 (11 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 1987.</ref>

In the House, Bagert held leadership positions including the chairmanships of the Criminal Justice Committee and the Commerce, Insurance, and Banking Committee. In 1983, he was elected to the first of two terms to the state Senate. In his last election victory, in the 1987 nonpartisan blanket primary, Bagert defeated his Republican opponent, Harry T. Begg, III, 23,953 votes (89 percent) to 3,043 (11 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 1987.</ref>

During his legislative service, Bagert received accolades from a variety of good government, environmental, and conservative organizations. The Alliance for Good Government named him Legislator of the Year in 1973, 1983, and 1985.​ The groups, Friends of the Environment and Citizens for Clean Environment, honored him in 1991 with the Brown Pelican Award because he was the first state official in Louisiana to address the near extinction of the brown pelican, the state bird that appears on the state seal. He authored measures to prevent programs spending public funds for the aerial application of the pesticide Mirex] a chlorinated hydrocarbon similar to [[DDT]]. He was named "Conservationist of the Year" by the National and Louisiana Wildlife Federation in 1986 for his work to salvage depleted redfish and speckled trout stocks and again in 1988 for his work to abate the erosion of wetlands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawildlifefed.org/userfiles/file/Awd%20by%20Cat-cumulative.pdf|title=Louisiana Wildlife Federation Conservation Award Winners|publisher=lawildlifefed.org|accessdate=January 8, 201; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

During his legislative service, Bagert received accolades from a variety of good government, environmental, and conservative organizations. The Alliance for Good Government named him Legislator of the Year in 1973, 1983, and 1985.​ The groups, Friends of the Environment and Citizens for Clean Environment, honored him in 1991 with the Brown Pelican Award because he was the first state official in Louisiana to address the near extinction of the brown pelican, the state bird that appears on the state seal. He authored measures to prevent programs spending public funds for the aerial application of the pesticide Mirex, a chlorinated hydrocarbon similar to [[DDT]]. He was named "Conservationist of the Year" by the National and Louisiana Wildlife Federation in 1986 for his work to salvage depleted redfish and speckled trout stocks and again in 1988 for his work to abate the erosion of wetlands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawildlifefed.org/userfiles/file/Awd%20by%20Cat-cumulative.pdf|title=Louisiana Wildlife Federation Conservation Award Winners|publisher=lawildlifefed.org|accessdate=January 8, 201; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

In 1989, after voters rejected a $700 million tax reform package submitted by then Governor [[Buddy Roemer]], Bagert replied:<blockquote>'''Let's do some major budget cutting before we even think about more taxes. ... People voted for a revolution in state government in 1987 [when Roemer was elected] ... They are still waiting.'''<ref>"'So, Where's the Revolution?,'' Sen. Ben Bagert says people still waiting," ''[Minden Press-Herald],'' May 17, 1989, g. 5A.</ref></blockquote>​

In 1989, after voters rejected a $700 million tax reform package submitted by then Governor [[Buddy Roemer]], Bagert replied:<blockquote>'''Let's do some major budget cutting before we even think about more taxes. ... People voted for a revolution in state government in 1987 [when Roemer was elected] ... They are still waiting.'''<ref>"'So, Where's the Revolution?,'' Sen. Ben Bagert says people still waiting," ''[Minden Press-Herald],'' May 17, 1989, g. 5A.</ref></blockquote>​

In his campaign Bagert called Johnston "a bungling, milquetoast liberal"<ref>"Can Johnston be beaten?," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' November 19, 1989, p. 1.</ref> and "aloof and out of touch" with Louisiana voters. Bagert accused Johnston of having had little interest in the state's oil and gas industries but partial to large utility holdings and nuclear energy developers. Johnston's vote for the windfall profits tax "hurt the independent oil producers in our state," declared Bagert.<ref>Joey White, "Bagert 'pulls no punches' on campaign trail," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' February 22, 1990, p. 1.</ref>​

In his campaign Bagert called Johnston "a bungling, milquetoast liberal"<ref>"Can Johnston be beaten?," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' November 19, 1989, p. 1.</ref> and "aloof and out of touch" with Louisiana voters. Bagert accused Johnston of having had little interest in the state's oil and gas industries but partial to large utility holdings and nuclear energy developers. Johnston's vote for the windfall profits tax "hurt the independent oil producers in our state," declared Bagert.<ref>Joey White, "Bagert 'pulls no punches' on campaign trail," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' February 22, 1990, p. 1.</ref>​

Bagert's impressive list of contributors included Governor [[David C. Treen]], the state's first Republican congressman and governor since [[Reconstruction]]; Bryan James Wagner (1943-2018), the first GOP member elected in the 20th century to the New Orleans City Council; [[John Hainkel]], a Democrat and later Republican member of the state Senate from an Orleans-area district; party chairmen [[James H. Boyce]] (shortly before his death) of [[Baton Rouge]], [[George Despot]] of Shreveport, Donald G. Bollinger of Lockport, and [[William A. Nungesser|William A. "Billy" Nungesser]] of New Orleans; [[Louis Roussel, Jr.]], a businessman and financier who had bankrolled campaigns of earlier Democrats, including Edwin Edwards and [[Bill Dodd|William J. "Bill" Dodd]]; future U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]] of Metairie in Jefferson Parish, the late "Cajun" humorist, chef, and former Democrat Justin Wilson (1914-2001); Dalton Woods, a Shreveport oilman and friend of President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]]; state Representative [[E. Clark Gaudin]] of Baton Rouge, New Orleans businessman James A. Noe, Jr., son of a former Democratic governor; future U.S. Senate candidate Suzanne Haik Terrell, another former member of the New Orleans City Council; former state Senator [Robert G. Jones]], a stockbroker from Lake Charles, and even a [[Texas]]-Louisiana businessman, [[Albert Bel Fay]], who had once been the Republican national committeeman from Texas​.

Bagert's impressive list of contributors included Governor [[David C. Treen]], the state's first Republican congressman and governor since [[Reconstruction]]; Bryan James Wagner (1943-2018), the first GOP member elected in the 20th century to the New Orleans City Council; [[John Hainkel]], a Democrat and later Republican member of the state Senate from an Orleans-area district; party chairmen [[James H. Boyce]] (shortly before his death) of [[Baton Rouge]], [[George Despot]] of Shreveport, Donald G. Bollinger of Lockport, and [[William A. Nungesser|William A. "Billy" Nungesser]] of New Orleans; [[Louis Roussel, Jr.]], a businessman and financier who had bankrolled campaigns of earlier Democrats, including Edwin Edwards and [[Bill Dodd|William J. "Bill" Dodd]]; future U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]] of Metairie in Jefferson Parish, the late "Cajun" humorist, chef, and former Democrat Justin Wilson (1914-2001); Dalton Woods, a Shreveport oilman and friend of President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]]; state Representative [[E. Clark Gaudin]] of Baton Rouge, New Orleans businessman James A. Noe, Jr., son of a former Democratic governor; future U.S. Senate candidate Suzanne Haik Terrell, another former member of the New Orleans City Council; former state Senator [[Robert G. Jones]], a stockbroker from Lake Charles, and even a [[Texas]]-Louisiana businessman, [[Albert Bel Fay]], who had once been the Republican national committeeman from Texas​.

Although Bagert campaigned hard, he continued to trail Duke and Johnston in the public opinion polls. Days before the primary, U.S. Senators [[John Danforth]] of [[Missouri]], [[Ted Stevens]] of [[Alaska]], and [[Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker]] of [[Kansas]] announced that they were "supporting" their Democratic colleague Johnston. At first, Bagert denounced Republicans who questioned his ability to win the race: "I wasn't [politically] dead; it's a mistake they made."<ref>"Johnston wins GOP endorsements," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' October 4, 1990, p. 1.</ref> But when it became clear to Bagert that by continuing the battle he would improve Duke's chances, he withdrew so that a runoff election between Duke and Johnston could have been avoided. Many of Bagert's campaign advisers urged him to remain in the race to protect his political viability. Of his withdrawal, Bagert said, "I do not want my footnote in history to read: 'His persistence led to the election of a man who tarnished American conservatism for many years.'"​

Although Bagert campaigned hard, he continued to trail Duke and Johnston in the public opinion polls. Days before the primary, U.S. Senators [[John Danforth]] of [[Missouri]], [[Ted Stevens]] of [[Alaska]], and [[Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker]] of [[Kansas]] announced that they were "supporting" their Democratic colleague Johnston. At first, Bagert denounced Republicans who questioned his ability to win the race: "I wasn't [politically] dead; it's a mistake they made."<ref>"Johnston wins GOP endorsements," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' October 4, 1990, p. 1.</ref> But when it became clear to Bagert that by continuing the battle he would improve Duke's chances, he withdrew so that a runoff election between Duke and Johnston could have been avoided. Many of Bagert's campaign advisers urged him to remain in the race to protect his political viability. Of his withdrawal, Bagert said, "I do not want my footnote in history to read: 'His persistence led to the election of a man who tarnished American conservatism for many years.'"​