SkipCaptcha
35,519
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
mLine 39:
Line 39: − +
→Career
==Career==
==Career==
Willis was elected to the Louisiana state Senate in 1948 but served only a few months because he later in the same year won election to Congress to succeed James R. Domengeaux (1907–1988), who left the House to run unsuccessfully for the [[United States Senate]] against fellow Democrat [[Russell Long]].
Willis was elected to the Louisiana State Senate in 1948 but served only a few months because he later in the same year won election to Congress to succeed James R. Domengeaux (1907–1988), who left the House to run unsuccessfully for the [[United States Senate]] against fellow Democrat [[Russell Long]].
In November 1948, Willis faced [[Republican Party|Republican]] opposition from a wealthy New Iberia businessman. Jean (pronounced JOHN) Paulin Duhe (1885–1961), who was the president of the New Iberia National Bank, head of the Duhe-Bourgeois Sugar Company, president of the Edmundson-Duhe [[rice]] mill, third vice-president of the American Sugar Cane League, and the president of the St. Martin-Iberia-St. Mary Flood Control Association. Willis defeated Duhe, 26,587 votes (66.6 percent) to 13,337 ballots (33.4 percent). Duhe's margin was similar to that of a previous Republican candidate in the 3rd district, [[David Pipes|David W. Pipes, Jr.]], who contested the position in 1940, when he was defeated by James Domengeaux.
In November 1948, Willis faced [[Republican Party|Republican]] opposition from a wealthy New Iberia businessman. Jean (pronounced JOHN) Paulin Duhe (1885–1961), who was the president of the New Iberia National Bank, head of the Duhe-Bourgeois Sugar Company, president of the Edmundson-Duhe [[rice]] mill, third vice-president of the American Sugar Cane League, and the president of the St. Martin-Iberia-St. Mary Flood Control Association. Willis defeated Duhe, 26,587 votes (66.6 percent) to 13,337 ballots (33.4 percent). Duhe's margin was similar to that of a previous Republican candidate in the 3rd district, [[David Pipes|David W. Pipes, Jr.]], who contested the position in 1940, when he was defeated by James Domengeaux.