Changes

On November 1, 1975, Fitzmorris cruised to reelection in the first ever nonpartisan blanket primary in Louisiana. One of his minor opponents, Lance A. Britton(born November 19, 1943), then of Baton Rouge and currently of Mansfield in DeSoto Parish., was the only Republican seeking statewide office that year because Louisiana was then an overwhelmingly Democratic state. Britton polled only 67,821 votes (6 percent), compared to Fitzmorris' 924,325 (81.7 percent). At the time, there were 54,862 registered Republicans in Louisiana. Britton hence polled only about 13,000 more votes for lieutenant governor than the number of GOP registrants.

On November 1, 1975, Fitzmorris cruised to reelection in the first ever nonpartisan blanket primary in Louisiana. One of his minor opponents, Lance A. Britton(born November 19, 1943), then of Baton Rouge and currently of Mansfield in DeSoto Parish., was the only Republican seeking statewide office that year because Louisiana was then an overwhelmingly Democratic state. Britton polled only 67,821 votes (6 percent), compared to Fitzmorris' 924,325 (81.7 percent). At the time, there were 54,862 registered Republicans in Louisiana. Britton hence polled only about 13,000 more votes for lieutenant governor than the number of GOP registrants.

As lieutenant governor, Fitzmorris headed the Louisiana Tourist Development Commission. He encouraged the establishment of the defunct outdoor drama, ''Louisiana Cavalier," which was performed in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]]on summer nights in the middle 1970s. He encouraged industrial development, and by the late 1970s, Louisiana was among the more successful states in recruiting new businesses and industries.

As lieutenant governor, Fitzmorris headed the Louisiana Tourist Development Commission. He encouraged the establishment of the defunct outdoor drama, ''Louisiana Cavalier,'' which was performed in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] on summer nights during the middle 1970s. He encouraged industrial development, and by the late 1970s, Louisiana was among the more successful states in recruiting new businesses and industries.

Fitzmorris adhered strictly to timetables. When he chaired meetings, he always started exactly on time and finished accordingly. One of his chamber of commerce associates recalled that Fitzmorris ran committee meetings "railroad-style. When an agenda was scheduled for 9 a.m., he would look at his railroad watch and start the meeting at 9 a.m. sharp (not 9:01) - even if I was the only member who had shown up on time. If the meeting was scheduled for one hour, Jimmy Fitz would look at his watch again at 10 a.m. sharp and summarily close the meeting, even if a pontificating member was in mid-sentence! When people came in late, he would give them the kind of look that only railroad men give late passengers sprinting after a moving train."

Fitzmorris adhered strictly to timetables. When he chaired meetings, he always started exactly on time and finished accordingly. One of his chamber of commerce associates recalled that Fitzmorris ran committee meetings "railroad-style. When an agenda was scheduled for 9 a.m., he would look at his railroad watch and start the meeting at 9 a.m. sharp (not 9:01) - even if I was the only member who had shown up on time. If the meeting was scheduled for one hour, Jimmy Fitz would look at his watch again at 10 a.m. sharp and summarily close the meeting, even if a pontificating member was in mid-sentence! When people came in late, he would give them the kind of look that only railroad men give late passengers sprinting after a moving train."