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'''Francis Coleman Thompson''' (born October 29, 1941)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/francis-thompson/e820551711210|title=Francis Thompson|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 19, 2019}}</ref> is a wealthy developer from Delhi in Richland Parish, [[Louisiana]], who served as a senior [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] state representative from 1975 until 2007. Then by virtue of term limits, Thompson was ineligible to have sought a ninth four-year term in the nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] held on October 20, 2007. In 2019, Thompson was elected once again to the state House once again. In the interim between 2008 and 2020, he was a state senator.

'''Francis Coleman Thompson''' (born October 29, 1941)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/francis-thompson/e820551711210|title=Francis Thompson|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 19, 2019}}</ref> is a wealthy developer from Delhi in Richland Parish, [[Louisiana]], who served as a senior [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] state representative from 1975 until 2007. Then by virtue of term limits, Thompson was ineligible to have sought a ninth four-year term in the nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] held on October 20, 2007. In 2019, Thompson was elected once again to the state House once again. In the interim between 2008 and 2020, he was a state senator.

In March 2023, Thompson announced that after fifty years as an elected Democrat he was switching his party affiliation to [[Republican Party|Republican]] because he disagrees with the leftist tilt of his former party. Thompson's switch gives the GOP a supermajority in the Louisiana House with 70 of the 105 seats. However, twenty-three of the Republicans often side with the Democrats. The [[radio]] commentator [[Moon Griffon]] calls the twenty-three the [[Louisiana Republican Fraud Squad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2023/03/16/republicans-gain-super-majority-in-louisiana-legislature-without-election/70018803007/|title=Thompson party flip gives Republicans super majority in Louisiana Legislature|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|publisher=''[[Monroe News Star]]''|date=March 16, 2023|accessdate=March 17, 2023}}</ref>

In March 2023, Thompson announced that after fifty years as an elected Democrat he was switching his party affiliation to [[Republican Party|Republican]] because he disagrees with the leftist tilt of his former party. Thompson's switch gives the GOP a supermajority in the Louisiana House with 70 of the 105 seats. However, twenty-three of the Republicans often side with the Democrats. The [[radio]] commentator [[Moon Griffon]] calls the twenty-three the [[Louisiana Republican Fraud Squad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2023/03/16/republicans-gain-super-majority-in-louisiana-legislature-without-election/70018803007/|title=Thompson party flip gives Republicans super majority in Louisiana Legislature|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|publisher=''[[Monroe News Star]]''|date=March 16, 2023|accessdate=March 17, 2023}}</ref>

When he was term-limited in the state Senate, Thompson ran unopposed in the nonpartisan blanket primary on October 12, 2019, to return to his former District 19 state House seat. He returned to the House in 2020 after twelve years in the Senate. The primary includes the race for [[governor]], in which incumbent Democrat [[John Bel Edwards]] faces a divided Republican field, including [[U.S. Representative]] [[Ralph Abraham]], from Thompson's own Richland Parish, and [[Eddie Rispone]], a [[Baton Rouge]] businessman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/candidateinquiry|title=Candidate Inquiry (Richland Parish)|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=August 9, 2019}}</ref>

When he was term-limited in the state Senate, Thompson ran unopposed in the nonpartisan blanket primary on October 12, 2019, to return to his former District 19 state House seat. He returned to the House in 2020 after twelve years in the Senate. The primary includes the race for [[governor]], in which incumbent Democrat [[John Bel Edwards]] faces a divided Republican field, including [[U.S. Representative]] [[Ralph Abraham]], from Thompson's own Richland Parish, and [[Eddie Rispone]], a [[Baton Rouge]] businessman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/candidateinquiry|title=Candidate Inquiry (Richland Parish)|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=August 9, 2019}}</ref>

==Background==

==Personal life and early career==

Thompson graduated from Delhi High School in 1959. He received his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in Lincoln Parish. He also procured an Ed.D. degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe (then Northeast Louisiana University). Thompson was a teacher from 1963 to 1965, but he vacated the classroom to become vice president of a manufacturing company from 1965 to 1972. Later, he returned to the classroom as a ULM assistant professor of education.

Thompson graduated from Delhi High School in 1959. He received his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in Lincoln Parish. He also procured an Ed.D. degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe (then Northeast Louisiana University). Thompson was a teacher from 1963 to 1965, but he vacated the classroom to become vice president of a manufacturing company from 1965 to 1972. Later, he returned to the classroom as a ULM assistant professor of education.

From 1968 to 1975, Thompson was an elected member of the Richland Parish School Board. He won a special election in 1975 to fill the House seat vacated by the resignation of Democrat [[Benny Christian]] (1925-1982),<ref>"Social Security Death Index". ssdi.rootsweb.com. Retrieved January 2, 2010; now under pay wall.</ref> who had served in the state House since 1964. Later in the year, Thompson won a full term in the seat, which in time became the single-member District 19. Prior to his legislative years, Thompson worked in Baton Rouge for the Louisiana Department of Education under Superintendent [[Louis J. Michot]] from 1974 to 1975. He was a member of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement from 1973 to 1974. Thompson has also been a member of the Southern Regional Education Board and the Education Commission of the States. He has been active in the Retarded Children's Association and the Louisiana Mental Health Drug Advisory Council. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and the Lions International.

From 1968 to 1975, Thompson was an elected member of the Richland Parish School Board. He won a special election in 1975 to fill the House seat vacated by the resignation of Democrat [[Benny Christian]] (1925-1982),<ref>"Social Security Death Index". ssdi.rootsweb.com. Retrieved January 2, 2010; now under pay wall.</ref> who had served in the state House since 1964. Later in the year, Thompson won a full term in the seat, which in time became the single-member District 19. Prior to his legislative years, Thompson worked in Baton Rouge for the Louisiana Department of Education under Superintendent [[Louis J. Michot]] from 1974 to 1975. He was a member of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement from 1973 to 1974. Thompson has also been a member of the Southern Regional Education Board and the Education Commission of the States. He has been active in the Retarded Children's Association and the Louisiana Mental Health Drug Advisory Council. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and the Lions International.

Thompson's brother and the oldest of his five siblings, Clyde Nolan Thompson (April 25, 1937 &mdash; July 31, 2015), was a multi-sport athlete at Louisiana Tech who for twenty years held the school record for stolen bases. He was also a Tech football quarterback. With his doctorate in professional education from the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Clyde Thompson was a teacher and coach in several Louisiana high school and then at Louisiana Tech. In 1975, he became the drug education coordinator for District 8 for the Louisiana Department of Education. In 1980, Republican Governor [[David C. Treen]] named Clyde Thompson, like his brother a Democrat, as the deputy director of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. He then became the assistant to the president of the State Board of Education before he returned to Delhi and became the director of the Madison Parish Port, a position which he held for more than two decades until retirement in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150074010/clyde-nolan-thompson|title=Clyde Nolan Thompson|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=July 19, 2019}}</ref>

Thompson's brother and the oldest of his five siblings, Clyde Nolan Thompson (April 25, 1937 &mdash; July 31, 2015), was a multi-sport athlete at Louisiana Tech who for twenty years held the school record for stolen bases. He was also a Tech football quarterback. With his doctorate in professional education from the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Clyde Thompson was a teacher and coach in several Louisiana high school and then at Louisiana Tech. In 1975, he became the drug education coordinator for District 8 for the Louisiana Department of Education. In 1980, Republican Governor [[David C. Treen]] named Clyde Thompson, like his brother a Democrat, as the deputy director of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. He then became the assistant to the president of the State Board of Education before he returned to Delhi and became the director of the Madison Parish Port, a position which he held for more than two decades until retirement in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150074010/clyde-nolan-thompson|title=Clyde Nolan Thompson|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=July 19, 2019}}</ref>