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Created page with "{{Infobox officeholder |name= Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth |image=Mike Walsworth of LA.jpg |office=Louisiana State Senator for District 33 (Monroe..."
{{Infobox officeholder
|name= Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth
|image=Mike Walsworth of LA.jpg
|office=[[Louisiana]] State Senator for District 33 ([[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]]-based
|term_start=2008
|term_end=2020
|preceded=[[Robert J. Barham]]
|succeeded=
|office2=Louisianna State Representative for District 15
|term_start2=1996
|term_end2=2008
|preceded2=[[Charles Anding]]
|succeeded2=[[Frank A. Hoffmann]]
|birth_date=March 27, 1956
|birth_place=West Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
|spouse=Name of spouse missing
|children=Lindsay Michelle Walsworth<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]
|occupation=[[Real estate]] developer
|religion=[[Churches of Christ]]
|alma_mater=[[University of Louisiana at Monroe]]
}}
'''Michael Arthur Walsworth''', known as '''Mike Walsworth''' (born March 27, 1956), is an American [[real estate]] developer from West Monroe, [[Louisiana]], who served as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] member of both houses of the state legislature for twenty-four years from 1996 to 2002. He represented Senate District 33 from 2008 to 2020. Previously, he represented House District 15.
Walsworth's former Senate district includes Ouachita, Claiborne, Morehouse, Union, and West Carroll parishes .
He defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] State Representative [[Charles McDonald (Louisiana politician)|Charles McDonald]] of the Fairbanks community in northern Ouachita Parish to succeed the term-limited Republican Senator [[Robert J. Barham]] of Oak Ridge in Morehouse Parish. In that race, Walsworth polled 17,292 (51.7 percent) to McDonald's 16,058 (48.3 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Results, October 20, 2007.</ref> McDonald's House seat, to which he was term-limited, was narrowly won in the November 17, 2007, state election by a Republican, [[Sam Little]], a retired [[farmer]] from Bastrop, seat of Morehouse Parish.
In a 2013 committee meeting, a question which Walsworth raised, about the [[theory of evolution]] as it relates to [[E. Coli]] [[bacteria]], caused his critics to claim that he lacks basic scientific knowledge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/01/23/creationist_louisiana_legislators_show_contempt_and_cluelessness_about_science.html|title=And These Are the People Making Laws in Louisiana
| accessdate=May 3, 2015|author=Phil Plait|publisher=Slate.com}}</ref>
From 1984 to 1996, Walsworth was a member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee. On February 9, 2008, he sought to return to the committee to represent his former State Representative District 15 berth. But he withdrew his candidacy two days before the closed [[primary]] election, and the position went by default to M. Randall "Randy" Donald.
Walsworth was first elected to the state House in the 1995 primary when he unseated the two-term Democrat [[Charles Anding]] of West Monroe and assumed the seat in January 1996.
==Biography==
Walsworth was born to Leo Walsworth and the former Lila "Tootsie" Kitchens (1921-2007) in [[West Monroe, Louisiana|West Monroe]] adjacent to [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in Ouachita Parish. His maternal grandparents, Marshall and Emily Kitchens, operated a [[grocery]] store in Monroe. Walsworth graduated from [[West Monroe High School]] in 1974. Thereafter, he procured a Bachelor of Arts degree from the [[University of Louisiana at Monroe]] (then Northeast Louisiana University). A real estate developer, he previously worked in management of [[Coca-Cola]]. He is affiliated with the Greater Ouachita Lions International, the [[American Red Cross]], Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Civitan Club, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and the American Heart Association. He is also involved in the [[United Way]], [[National Rifle Association]], and ULM Alumni Association. Walsworth is the song leader at a local [[Churches of Christ]]. He is the father of one daughter, Lindsay Michelle Walsworth.
Walsworth claimed that his political activities have been geared to "looking at the generation, not the next election."
As a legislator, Walsworth worked to establish the Ouachita Port and Expressway commissions. He authored a law which renders video voyeurism illegal in Louisiana. He worked on the Ethics Reform Bill to prohibit lawmakers from doing business with the state. He also worked to pass limited tort reform in his first legislative session. He has pushed for funding of [[rural]] schools, which abound in House District 15 and Senate District 33.
In his initial election to the House, Walsworth defeated Charles Anding, 7,745 (55 percent) to 6,403 (45 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Eection Returns, October 21, 1995.</ref> In 1999, with 9,060 votes (67 percent), Walsworth defeated Democrat Royce Calhoun, who had 4,441 votes (33 percent), to win a second term in the House. Walsworth ran unopposed in 2003 for his third and final term in the House.
In 2013, Walsworth joined [[Moderate Republican]] [[Rob Shadoin]] of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] to rename the Louisiana Highway 33 bridge over Lake D’Arbonne in Farmerville after Representative [[James Peyton Smith]] of Union Parish, who had died in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130912/NEWS01/309120048/State-honors-late-Rep-Smith-bridge-renaming?nclick_check=1|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|title=State honors the late Rep. Smith with bridge renaming, September 12, 2013|publisher=''[[Monroe News Star]]''|accessdate=September 13, 2013}}</ref>
== Creationism and other controversy==
In a 2013 committee hearing on Louisiana Senate Bill 374,<ref>[http://legis.la.gov/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=779058 SENATE BILL NO. 374]</ref> Walsworth raised a question which, according to Walsworth's critics, revealed his misapprehension, or misrepresentation, of the theory of evolution. Walsworth's question was about an experiment on ''E. coli'' bacteria. As a science teacher described Richard Lenski's decades-long study with E. coli bacteria which froze some and allowed others to evolve, Walsworth asked whether any of the bacteria evolved—during the experiment—into human beings.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z1zKg2d6-A Creationist Senator in Louisiana lectured on Evolution], [[YouTube]]</ref> His critics claim that Walsworth either lacks knowledge of, or misrepresented, or expressed a jocular attitude toward, the scientific method by describing as "just a [[theory]]" the entire process of evolution. Louisiana Senate Bill 374 was designed to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act.
In 2014, Walsworth was alleged to have been involved in conveying a video to the weekly newspaper, ''The Ouachita Citizen,'' published in West Monroe. The video showed Republican then [[United States Representative]] [[Vance McAllister]] of Louisiana's 5th congressional district in an ostensibly passionate kiss with his subordinate, Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, who was married to a longtime friend of McAllister, who is also married. Walsworth firmly denied any connection with, or even knowledge of, the video prior to its publication. The video, which had been anonymously left with ''The Ouachita Citizen,'' evoked a national news story.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://theadvocate.com/news/acadiana/8853463-123/monroe-voters-feel-letdown-by
|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|pages=1A, 5A|author=Jim Mustian|date-April 9, 2014
|accessdate=April 9, 2014|title = Voters let down by 'kissing congressman'}} The allegation toward Walsworth and his denial thereof appear on p. 5A. Later in the same year McAllister failed to win re-election, being eliminated in the nonpartisan blankiet primary. Advancing to the [[general election]] were the Monroe's Democrat Mayor, [[Jamie Mayo]], an [[African-American]] and the [[veterinarian]] and [[physician]] [[Ralph Abraham]] of Mangham, in Richland Parish]], with Abraham, a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], winning the seat and replacing McAllister.</ref>Abraham was an unsuccessful GOP gubernatorial candidate in the primary held on October 12, 2019
==2015 reelection campaign==
To remain in the state Senate, Walsworth defeated former U.S. Representative Vance McAllister in the state primary held on October 24, 2015. "It's important to end the Jindal-Walsworth administration," quipped McAllister, a reference to Walsworth's longtime backing of Governor [[Bobby Jindal]]. "They’ve been there eight years and we've got nothing to show for it," McAllister added.<ref name=statesenaterun>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/politics/2015/09/10/mcallister-challenges-walsworth-senate-seat/72009540/|title=McAllister challenges Walsworth for Senate seat|author=Greg Hilburn|date=September 10, 2015|publisher=''The Monroe News Star''|accessdate=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
McAllister called for debates with Walsworth in all six parishes in Senate District 33, but Walsworth said that six debates in five weeks would have been unrealistic. McAllister claimed that Walsworth plans to run for mayor of West Monroe when the long-term incumbent, Democrat [[Dave Norris (Louisiana politician)|Dave Norris]], retires: "Everybody knows he wants to run for mayor. I've seen how the state has suffered while Jindal ran for another job," McCallister said.<ref name=statesenaterun/>
Walsworth handily turned back McAllister's challenge, 15,891 votes (62.3 percent) to 9,626 (37.7 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 2015.</ref>
In January 2016, Senate President [[John Alario]] appointed Walsworth chairman of the Environment Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2016/01/12/senate-labor-chair-wont-support-minimum-wage-increase/78686902/|title=Senate Labor chair won't support minimum wage increase|date=January 13, 2016|publisher=''The Monroe News Star''|author=Greg Hilburn|accessdate=January 16, 2016}}</ref>
Walsworth did not run for mayor of West Monroe in 2018, but another Republican, [[Staci Albritton Mitchell]], unseat Mayor Dave Norris, who had first been elected in 1979. In 2019, Walsworth was an unsuccessful candidate for Ouacita Parish Clerk of Court. He polled 23,963 votes (49 percent), but victory went to the [[Independent voter|Independent]] Dana Benson, who finished with 24,918 votes (51 percent).
==References==
{{reflist}}
==News Articles==
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=93 "Meet the Next Governor of Louisiana"] louisianaconservative.com April, 2007
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=222 "Senate Candidate Mike Walsworth Leads the Way"] louisianaconservative.com August, 2007
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=239 "REPRESENTATIVE MIKE WALSWORTH “A Warrior for What Is Right”"] louisianaconservative.com September, 2007
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=285 "MONROE NEWSSTAR ENDORSES MIKE WALSWORTH - SENATE DISTRICT 33"] louisianaconservative.com October, 2007.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, General election returns, November 16, 2019.</ref>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsworth, Mike}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:State Representatives]]
[[Category:State Senators]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Christians]]
|name= Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth
|image=Mike Walsworth of LA.jpg
|office=[[Louisiana]] State Senator for District 33 ([[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]]-based
|term_start=2008
|term_end=2020
|preceded=[[Robert J. Barham]]
|succeeded=
|office2=Louisianna State Representative for District 15
|term_start2=1996
|term_end2=2008
|preceded2=[[Charles Anding]]
|succeeded2=[[Frank A. Hoffmann]]
|birth_date=March 27, 1956
|birth_place=West Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
|spouse=Name of spouse missing
|children=Lindsay Michelle Walsworth<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]
|occupation=[[Real estate]] developer
|religion=[[Churches of Christ]]
|alma_mater=[[University of Louisiana at Monroe]]
}}
'''Michael Arthur Walsworth''', known as '''Mike Walsworth''' (born March 27, 1956), is an American [[real estate]] developer from West Monroe, [[Louisiana]], who served as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] member of both houses of the state legislature for twenty-four years from 1996 to 2002. He represented Senate District 33 from 2008 to 2020. Previously, he represented House District 15.
Walsworth's former Senate district includes Ouachita, Claiborne, Morehouse, Union, and West Carroll parishes .
He defeated the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] State Representative [[Charles McDonald (Louisiana politician)|Charles McDonald]] of the Fairbanks community in northern Ouachita Parish to succeed the term-limited Republican Senator [[Robert J. Barham]] of Oak Ridge in Morehouse Parish. In that race, Walsworth polled 17,292 (51.7 percent) to McDonald's 16,058 (48.3 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Results, October 20, 2007.</ref> McDonald's House seat, to which he was term-limited, was narrowly won in the November 17, 2007, state election by a Republican, [[Sam Little]], a retired [[farmer]] from Bastrop, seat of Morehouse Parish.
In a 2013 committee meeting, a question which Walsworth raised, about the [[theory of evolution]] as it relates to [[E. Coli]] [[bacteria]], caused his critics to claim that he lacks basic scientific knowledge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/01/23/creationist_louisiana_legislators_show_contempt_and_cluelessness_about_science.html|title=And These Are the People Making Laws in Louisiana
| accessdate=May 3, 2015|author=Phil Plait|publisher=Slate.com}}</ref>
From 1984 to 1996, Walsworth was a member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee. On February 9, 2008, he sought to return to the committee to represent his former State Representative District 15 berth. But he withdrew his candidacy two days before the closed [[primary]] election, and the position went by default to M. Randall "Randy" Donald.
Walsworth was first elected to the state House in the 1995 primary when he unseated the two-term Democrat [[Charles Anding]] of West Monroe and assumed the seat in January 1996.
==Biography==
Walsworth was born to Leo Walsworth and the former Lila "Tootsie" Kitchens (1921-2007) in [[West Monroe, Louisiana|West Monroe]] adjacent to [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in Ouachita Parish. His maternal grandparents, Marshall and Emily Kitchens, operated a [[grocery]] store in Monroe. Walsworth graduated from [[West Monroe High School]] in 1974. Thereafter, he procured a Bachelor of Arts degree from the [[University of Louisiana at Monroe]] (then Northeast Louisiana University). A real estate developer, he previously worked in management of [[Coca-Cola]]. He is affiliated with the Greater Ouachita Lions International, the [[American Red Cross]], Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Civitan Club, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and the American Heart Association. He is also involved in the [[United Way]], [[National Rifle Association]], and ULM Alumni Association. Walsworth is the song leader at a local [[Churches of Christ]]. He is the father of one daughter, Lindsay Michelle Walsworth.
Walsworth claimed that his political activities have been geared to "looking at the generation, not the next election."
As a legislator, Walsworth worked to establish the Ouachita Port and Expressway commissions. He authored a law which renders video voyeurism illegal in Louisiana. He worked on the Ethics Reform Bill to prohibit lawmakers from doing business with the state. He also worked to pass limited tort reform in his first legislative session. He has pushed for funding of [[rural]] schools, which abound in House District 15 and Senate District 33.
In his initial election to the House, Walsworth defeated Charles Anding, 7,745 (55 percent) to 6,403 (45 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Eection Returns, October 21, 1995.</ref> In 1999, with 9,060 votes (67 percent), Walsworth defeated Democrat Royce Calhoun, who had 4,441 votes (33 percent), to win a second term in the House. Walsworth ran unopposed in 2003 for his third and final term in the House.
In 2013, Walsworth joined [[Moderate Republican]] [[Rob Shadoin]] of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] to rename the Louisiana Highway 33 bridge over Lake D’Arbonne in Farmerville after Representative [[James Peyton Smith]] of Union Parish, who had died in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130912/NEWS01/309120048/State-honors-late-Rep-Smith-bridge-renaming?nclick_check=1|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|title=State honors the late Rep. Smith with bridge renaming, September 12, 2013|publisher=''[[Monroe News Star]]''|accessdate=September 13, 2013}}</ref>
== Creationism and other controversy==
In a 2013 committee hearing on Louisiana Senate Bill 374,<ref>[http://legis.la.gov/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=779058 SENATE BILL NO. 374]</ref> Walsworth raised a question which, according to Walsworth's critics, revealed his misapprehension, or misrepresentation, of the theory of evolution. Walsworth's question was about an experiment on ''E. coli'' bacteria. As a science teacher described Richard Lenski's decades-long study with E. coli bacteria which froze some and allowed others to evolve, Walsworth asked whether any of the bacteria evolved—during the experiment—into human beings.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z1zKg2d6-A Creationist Senator in Louisiana lectured on Evolution], [[YouTube]]</ref> His critics claim that Walsworth either lacks knowledge of, or misrepresented, or expressed a jocular attitude toward, the scientific method by describing as "just a [[theory]]" the entire process of evolution. Louisiana Senate Bill 374 was designed to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act.
In 2014, Walsworth was alleged to have been involved in conveying a video to the weekly newspaper, ''The Ouachita Citizen,'' published in West Monroe. The video showed Republican then [[United States Representative]] [[Vance McAllister]] of Louisiana's 5th congressional district in an ostensibly passionate kiss with his subordinate, Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, who was married to a longtime friend of McAllister, who is also married. Walsworth firmly denied any connection with, or even knowledge of, the video prior to its publication. The video, which had been anonymously left with ''The Ouachita Citizen,'' evoked a national news story.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://theadvocate.com/news/acadiana/8853463-123/monroe-voters-feel-letdown-by
|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|pages=1A, 5A|author=Jim Mustian|date-April 9, 2014
|accessdate=April 9, 2014|title = Voters let down by 'kissing congressman'}} The allegation toward Walsworth and his denial thereof appear on p. 5A. Later in the same year McAllister failed to win re-election, being eliminated in the nonpartisan blankiet primary. Advancing to the [[general election]] were the Monroe's Democrat Mayor, [[Jamie Mayo]], an [[African-American]] and the [[veterinarian]] and [[physician]] [[Ralph Abraham]] of Mangham, in Richland Parish]], with Abraham, a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], winning the seat and replacing McAllister.</ref>Abraham was an unsuccessful GOP gubernatorial candidate in the primary held on October 12, 2019
==2015 reelection campaign==
To remain in the state Senate, Walsworth defeated former U.S. Representative Vance McAllister in the state primary held on October 24, 2015. "It's important to end the Jindal-Walsworth administration," quipped McAllister, a reference to Walsworth's longtime backing of Governor [[Bobby Jindal]]. "They’ve been there eight years and we've got nothing to show for it," McAllister added.<ref name=statesenaterun>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/politics/2015/09/10/mcallister-challenges-walsworth-senate-seat/72009540/|title=McAllister challenges Walsworth for Senate seat|author=Greg Hilburn|date=September 10, 2015|publisher=''The Monroe News Star''|accessdate=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
McAllister called for debates with Walsworth in all six parishes in Senate District 33, but Walsworth said that six debates in five weeks would have been unrealistic. McAllister claimed that Walsworth plans to run for mayor of West Monroe when the long-term incumbent, Democrat [[Dave Norris (Louisiana politician)|Dave Norris]], retires: "Everybody knows he wants to run for mayor. I've seen how the state has suffered while Jindal ran for another job," McCallister said.<ref name=statesenaterun/>
Walsworth handily turned back McAllister's challenge, 15,891 votes (62.3 percent) to 9,626 (37.7 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 2015.</ref>
In January 2016, Senate President [[John Alario]] appointed Walsworth chairman of the Environment Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2016/01/12/senate-labor-chair-wont-support-minimum-wage-increase/78686902/|title=Senate Labor chair won't support minimum wage increase|date=January 13, 2016|publisher=''The Monroe News Star''|author=Greg Hilburn|accessdate=January 16, 2016}}</ref>
Walsworth did not run for mayor of West Monroe in 2018, but another Republican, [[Staci Albritton Mitchell]], unseat Mayor Dave Norris, who had first been elected in 1979. In 2019, Walsworth was an unsuccessful candidate for Ouacita Parish Clerk of Court. He polled 23,963 votes (49 percent), but victory went to the [[Independent voter|Independent]] Dana Benson, who finished with 24,918 votes (51 percent).
==References==
{{reflist}}
==News Articles==
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=93 "Meet the Next Governor of Louisiana"] louisianaconservative.com April, 2007
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=222 "Senate Candidate Mike Walsworth Leads the Way"] louisianaconservative.com August, 2007
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=239 "REPRESENTATIVE MIKE WALSWORTH “A Warrior for What Is Right”"] louisianaconservative.com September, 2007
* [http://louisianaconservative.com/?p=285 "MONROE NEWSSTAR ENDORSES MIKE WALSWORTH - SENATE DISTRICT 33"] louisianaconservative.com October, 2007.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, General election returns, November 16, 2019.</ref>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsworth, Mike}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:State Representatives]]
[[Category:State Senators]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Christians]]