Changes

==Other political developments==

==Other political developments==

In 1996, Thompson ran for the open Fifth District seat in the United States House of Representatives. He polled 50,144 votes (28 percent) and went into a general election with the Republican ophthalmologist John Cooksey of Monroe, who led in the nonpartisan blanket primary with 60,853 ballots (34 percent). Former U.S. Representative Clyde Cecil Holloway (1943-2016) of Forest Hill in Rapides Parish trailed in third place with 48,226 (27 percent).<ref>Louisiana election returns, September 21, 1996," Sos.louisiana.gov., accessed January 2, 2009.</ref> Holloway then endorsed Cooksey, who defeated Thompson by a comfortable margin. Cooksey received 135,990 votes (58 percent) to the more liberal Thompson's 97,363 (42 percent).<ref>Louisiana election returns, November 5, 1996, Sos.louisiana.gov, accessed  January 2, 2009.</ref> Cooksey served three terms before leaving the U.S. House early in 2003. Cooksey's campaign manager, [[Lee Fletcher]], was thereafter named as his chief of staff. Fletcher tried to win the House seat himself in 2002 but lost to Democrat (later Republican) [[Rodney Alexander]].

In 1996, Thompson ran for the open Fifth District seat in the United States House of Representatives. He polled 50,144 votes (28 percent) and went into a general election with the Republican ophthalmologist John Cooksey of Monroe, who led in the nonpartisan blanket primary with 60,853 ballots (34 percent). Former U.S. Representative [[Clyde Holloway]] of Forest Hill in Rapides Parish trailed in third place with 48,226 (27 percent).<ref>Louisiana election returns, September 21, 1996," Sos.louisiana.gov., accessed January 2, 2009.</ref> Holloway then endorsed Cooksey, who defeated Thompson by a comfortable margin. Cooksey received 135,990 votes (58 percent) to the more liberal Thompson's 97,363 (42 percent).<ref>Louisiana election returns, November 5, 1996, Sos.louisiana.gov, accessed  January 2, 2009.</ref> Cooksey served three terms before leaving the U.S. House early in 2003. Cooksey's campaign manager, [[Lee Fletcher]], was thereafter named as his chief of staff. Fletcher tried to win the House seat himself in 2002 but lost to Democrat (later Republican) [[Rodney Alexander]].

Though he is a Democrat, Thompson broke party ranks in the 2003 gubernatorial primary to support [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate [[Hunt Downer|Huntington Blair "Hunt" Downer, Jr.]] of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, a former United States Army officer and state House Speaker, who finished sixth in the balloting though he had the support of a cross-section of state legislators from both parties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/934952/posts|title=33 State Legislators Announce Support for Hunt Downer (LA Gov)|publisher=[[Free Republic]]|date=June 23, 2003|accessdate=July 19, 2019}}</ref>

Though he is a Democrat, Thompson broke party ranks in the 2003 gubernatorial primary to support [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate [[Hunt Downer|Huntington Blair "Hunt" Downer, Jr.]] of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, a former United States Army officer and state House Speaker, who finished sixth in the balloting though he had the support of a cross-section of state legislators from both parties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/934952/posts|title=33 State Legislators Announce Support for Hunt Downer (LA Gov)|publisher=[[Free Republic]]|date=June 23, 2003|accessdate=July 19, 2019}}</ref>