Changes

On February 3, 1986, Senator Nicholson told Westwego Rotarians that racial integration of public schools had "destroyed our educational base."<ref name=ejnicholson/> He suggested that pupil test scores would reflect a considerable disparity if they were separated by race. His son, John W. Nicholson, III (born September 1952), said that his father's "words came out the wrong way" but that Nicholson was not "racist" and had hired black employees in his stores.<ref name=ejnicholson/> The remarks led to a [[boycott]] by [[African Americans]] of the Nicholson stores<ref name=ejnicholson/> and the next year defeat at the polls.

On February 3, 1986, Senator Nicholson told Westwego Rotarians that racial integration of public schools had "destroyed our educational base."<ref name=ejnicholson/> He suggested that pupil test scores would reflect a considerable disparity if they were separated by race. His son, John W. Nicholson, III (born September 1952), said that his father's "words came out the wrong way" but that Nicholson was not "racist" and had hired black employees in his stores.<ref name=ejnicholson/> The remarks led to a [[boycott]] by [[African Americans]] of the Nicholson stores<ref name=ejnicholson/> and the next year defeat at the polls.

Nicholson was handily unseated in the state Senate in the 1987 nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] by his fellow Democrat Chris Ullo, also a Jefferson Parish businessman. Ullo led a three-candidate field with 15,973 votes (54.8 percent) to Nicholson's 10,847 (37.2 percent). A third candidate, Johnny Nobles, held the remaining 2,329 ballots (8 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 1987.</ref>

Nicholson was handily unseated in the state Senate in the 1987 nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] by his fellow Democrat [[Chris Ullo]], also a Jefferson Parish businessman. Ullo led a three-candidate field with 15,973 votes (54.8 percent) to Nicholson's 10,847 (37.2 percent). A third candidate, Johnny Nobles, held the remaining 2,329 ballots (8 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 1987.</ref>

Twelve years after his defeat, Nicholson polled 13.8 percent of the vote in the 1999 primary in a bid to unseat Ullo, who led a three-candidate field with 77.2 percent of the ballots cast.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 23, 1999.</ref> Ullo died in January 2014.

Twelve years after his defeat, Nicholson polled 13.8 percent of the vote in the 1999 primary in a bid to unseat Ullo, who led a three-candidate field with 77.2 percent of the ballots cast.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 23, 1999.</ref> Ullo died in January 2014.