Changes

==Running twice for mayor of Shreveport==

==Running twice for mayor of Shreveport==

Coming so close in the insurance commissioner's race, Williamson tried once again in politics: he contested the mayoralty of Shreveport in 1982 in an effort to succeed one-term Mayor William T. "Bill" Hanna, Jr., a fellow Democrat and, like Williamson's father, an automobile dealer, but [[Ford]], rather than [[Chevrolet]]. Williamson's principal opponent was Shreveport attorney John Brennan Hussey. The two waged activist campaigns, and while Williamson finished with more than 40 percent of the vote, Hussey emerged the winner. Williamson said that as mayor he would have tried to promote tourism in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. He favored reinstituting the former "Louisiana Hayride" Country and Western music forum. "I just wanted to have Branson (the resort city in Missouri) in Shreveport," he said. Williamson said that he would have been a "mover and shaker" as mayor, whereas he believed Hussey would have been less active in the office and satisfied to "clip ribbons" in friendly photo ops. Williamson said that when he went to meet with the editorial boards of ''The Shreveport Times'' and the since defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]].'' One of the papers declined to meet with him after having invited him to appear, but the papers had already decided to endorse Hussey. [16]

Coming so close in the insurance commissioner's race, Williamson tried once again in politics: he contested the mayoralty of Shreveport in 1982 in an effort to succeed one-term Mayor [[Bill Hanna|William T. "Bill" Hanna, Jr.]], a fellow Democrat and, like Williamson's father, an automobile dealer, but [[Ford]], rather than [[Chevrolet]]. Williamson's principal opponent was Shreveport attorney John Brennan Hussey. The two waged activist campaigns, and while Williamson finished with more than 40 percent of the vote, Hussey emerged the winner. Williamson said that as mayor he would have tried to promote tourism in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. He favored reinstituting the former "Louisiana Hayride" Country and Western music forum. "I just wanted to have Branson (the resort city in Missouri) in Shreveport," he said. Williamson said that he would have been a "mover and shaker" as mayor, whereas he believed Hussey would have been less active in the office and satisfied to "clip ribbons" in friendly photo ops. Williamson said that when he went to meet with the editorial boards of ''The Shreveport Times'' and the since defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]].'' One of the papers declined to meet with him after having invited him to appear, but the papers had already decided to endorse Hussey. [16]

In 1986, Williamson challenged Hussey again but did not run actively. He merely placed his name on the ballot and spoke to individual voters. He spent virtually no money. He again exceeded 40 percent of the vote, but Hussey won a second term. Williamson said that Hussey is a "fine person," but he felt that Hussey needed an opponent in 1986. Hussey was term-limited in 1990. He was succeeded by Hazel F. Beard (born 1930), Shreveport's first Republican since Reconstruction and its first female mayor. [17]

In 1986, Williamson challenged Hussey again but did not run actively. He merely placed his name on the ballot and spoke to individual voters. He spent virtually no money. He again exceeded 40 percent of the vote, but Hussey won a second term. Williamson said that Hussey is a "fine person," but he felt that Hussey needed an opponent in 1986. Hussey was term-limited in 1990. He was succeeded by Hazel F. Beard (born 1930), Shreveport's first Republican since Reconstruction and its first female mayor. [17]