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In 1971, Nix left the Delta Economic Development District to enter the political area. He was the manager of field organization for former [[U.S. Representative]] [[Gillis Long]] of Louisiana's 8th congressional district, since disbanded, in Long's second unsuccessful attempt to win the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Governor|gubernatorial]] nomination. The victor and subsequent governor, [[Edwin Edwards]], invited Nix in 1972 to become his executive assistant. In 1974, Edwards elevated Nix to chief executive assistant with duties including liaison with the state congressional delegation,<ref name=lapolmu>{{cite web|url=https://www.lapoliticalmuseum.com/inductees.php?viewID=79|title=J. Kelly Nix|publisher=[[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]]|accessdate=February 8, 2020}}</ref><ref name=coxfuneralhome/>  which once again included Representative Gillis Long, who returned to Congress for a second stint from 1973 until his death in 1985, and also two [[Republican Party|Republican]] members, [[David C. Treen]] and William Henson Moore of Baton Rouge.​

In 1971, Nix left the Delta Economic Development District to enter the political area. He was the manager of field organization for former [[U.S. Representative]] [[Gillis Long]] of Louisiana's 8th congressional district, since disbanded, in Long's second unsuccessful attempt to win the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Governor|gubernatorial]] nomination. The victor and subsequent governor, [[Edwin Edwards]], invited Nix in 1972 to become his executive assistant. In 1974, Edwards elevated Nix to chief executive assistant with duties including liaison with the state congressional delegation,<ref name=lapolmu>{{cite web|url=https://www.lapoliticalmuseum.com/inductees.php?viewID=79|title=J. Kelly Nix|publisher=[[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]]|accessdate=February 8, 2020}}</ref><ref name=coxfuneralhome/>  which once again included Representative Gillis Long, who returned to Congress for a second stint from 1973 until his death in 1985, and also two [[Republican Party|Republican]] members, [[David C. Treen]] and William Henson Moore of Baton Rouge.​

In 1975, Nix unseated fellow Democrat [[Louis J. Michot]] of [[Lafayette]], who served a single term as state education superintendent. In 1979, he defeated in a multi-candidate field his strongest challenger, another fellow Democrat, [[Thomas Clausen]] of Baton Rouge, who used the yellow school bus as his campaing prop. Clausen succceed Nix as superintendent in 1984. The Louisiana school superintendent, though no longer elected, is considered a powerful position in the state, having once been held by such figures as [[T. H. Harris]], [[Shelby M. Jackson]], [[Bill Dodd]], and recently [[John White]].

In 1975, Nix unseated fellow Democrat [[Louis J. Michot]] of [[Lafayette]], who served a single term as state education superintendent. In 1979, he defeated in a multi-candidate field his strongest challenger, another fellow Democrat, [[Thomas Clausen]] of Baton Rouge, who used the yellow school bus as his campaing prop. A third candidate in the race was educator [[C. B. "Lum" Ellis]]. Clausen succceeded Nix as superintendent in 1984. The Louisiana school superintendent, though no longer elected, is considered a powerful position in the state, having once been held by such figures as [[T. H. Harris]], [[Shelby M. Jackson]], [[Bill Dodd]], and [[John White]].

===Controversies===

===Controversies===

Years later in 2011, Nix was inducted into the [[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]] in Winnfield, which he considered his greatest honor.<ref name=lapolmu/>​

Years later in 2011, Nix was inducted into the [[Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame]] in Winnfield, which he considered his greatest honor.<ref name=lapolmu/>​

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==References==

==References==

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