Changes

==Defeating Frank Spooner==

==Defeating Frank Spooner==

Huckaby then faced a determined Republican challenge from [[Frank Spooner]], a conservative [[oil]]man from Monroe who had been his state's [[Republican Party)|GOP]] national committeeman. Spooner was the first Republican to contest the Fifth District seat since 1900, when Henry E. Hardtner polled 628 votes (9.2 percent) against the Democrat Joseph E. Ransdell of East Carroll Parish, who was elected with 6,172 votes (90.8 percent). Ransdell  later served in the [[United States Senate]] until defeated by [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]]<ref>''Louisiana History,'' pp. 345-346.</ref>

Huckaby then faced a determined Republican challenge from [[Frank Spooner]], a conservative [[oil]]man from Monroe who had been his state's [[Republican Party|GOP]] national committeeman. Spooner was the first Republican to contest the Fifth District seat since 1900, when Henry E. Hardtner polled 628 votes (9.2 percent) against the Democrat Joseph E. Ransdell of East Carroll Parish, who was elected with 6,172 votes (90.8 percent). Ransdell  later served in the [[United States Senate]] until defeated by [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]]<ref>''Louisiana History,'' pp. 345-346.</ref>

Spooner worked to assemble a potentially winning coalition based on a strong showing in Ouachita and Lincoln parishes, along with Morehouse, Richland,  [[Natchitoches  Louisiana|Natchitoches]], and Winn parishes. Former[[Texas]] [[Governor]] [[John Connally]] came to Natchitoches and Monroe to speak for Spooner and the [[Gerald R. Ford|Ford]]-[[Robert J. Dole|Dole]] ticket. Former [California]] Governor [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]], Ford's unsuccessful opponent in the 1976  primaries, appeared in Monroe at a fundraiser on Spooner's behalf. After his failure to gain re-nomination, Passman never again spoke to Huckaby and even "threatened" to endorse Spooner as his successor but never did so.<ref>''Louisiana History,'' pp. 343, 348.</ref>

Spooner worked to assemble a potentially winning coalition based on a strong showing in Ouachita and Lincoln parishes, along with Morehouse, Richland,  [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], and Winn parishes. Former Governor [[John Connally]] of [[Texas]] came to Natchitoches and Monroe to speak for Spooner and the [[Gerald R. Ford|Ford]]-[[Robert J. Dole|Dole]] ticket. Former [California]] Governor [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]], Ford's unsuccessful opponent in the 1976  primaries, appeared in Monroe at a fundraiser on Spooner's behalf. After his failure to gain re-nomination, Passman never again spoke to Huckaby and even "threatened" to endorse Spooner as his successor but never did so.<ref>''Louisiana History,'' pp. 343, 348.</ref>

   

   

Huckaby won the exchange, helped in part by the popularity of [[Jimmy Carter]] in Louisiana and throughout the South. Huckaby received 83,696 votes (52.5 percent) to Spooner's 75,574 ballots (47.5 percent). Spooner outpolled Passman's primary showing by 0.2 percent. In a much higher general election turnout, Spooner received some 35,000 more votes than Passman had netted in the primary. Spooner polled 59 percent in Ouachita Parish and also won in Lincoln, Morehouse, Union, and Richland, but his strength was insufficient to overcome hefty Democratic margins in rural districts stretching from Huckaby's Ringgold on the west to Vidalia on the east and the most northern precincts of  Rapides Parish on the south.<ref>''Louisiana History,'' p. 349.</ref>

Huckaby won the exchange, helped in part by the popularity of [[Jimmy Carter]] in Louisiana and throughout the South. Huckaby received 83,696 votes (52.5 percent) to Spooner's 75,574 ballots (47.5 percent). Spooner outpolled Passman's primary showing by 0.2 percent. In a much higher general election turnout, Spooner received some 35,000 more votes than Passman had netted in the primary. Spooner polled 59 percent in Ouachita Parish and also won in Lincoln, Morehouse, Union, and Richland, but his strength was insufficient to overcome hefty Democratic margins in rural districts stretching from Huckaby's Ringgold on the west to Vidalia on the east and the most northern precincts of  Rapides Parish on the south.<ref>''Louisiana History,'' p. 349.</ref>