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→Twice elected lieutenant governor
In 1971, Fitzmorris entered a crowded Democratic primary for lieutenant governor to fill the position being vacated by gubernatorial hopeful Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915–1987) of Franklin in St. Mary Parish in south Louisiana. Fitzmorris was placed into a runoff with three-term state Senator Jamar William Adcock (1917–1991), a banker from [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana and a close friend of Governor [[John J. McKeithen]]. Two candidates from Webster Parish, [[Edward Kennon]] and state Representative Parey Pershing Branton, Sr., of Shongaloo were among those eliminated from the race.
In 1971, Fitzmorris entered a crowded Democratic primary for lieutenant governor to fill the position being vacated by gubernatorial hopeful Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915–1987) of Franklin in St. Mary Parish in south Louisiana. Fitzmorris was placed into a runoff with three-term state Senator Jamar William Adcock (1917–1991), a banker from [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana and a close friend of Governor [[John J. McKeithen]]. Two candidates from Webster Parish, [[Edward Kennon]] and state Representative Parey Pershing Branton, Sr., of Shongaloo were among those eliminated from the race.
Fitzmorris won the runoff by a wide margin and then faced the Republican former state representative Morley Alvin Hudson (1917-2001) of [[Shreveport]], running on the ticket headed by later Governor [[David C. Treen]]. Fitzmorris scored a knockout over Hudson and went on to serve two terms in the state's second highest office. He polled 815,794 votes (76.8 percent) to Hudson's 218,169 ballots (20.5 percent). Hudson failed to win a single parish but fared best in his home base of Caddo Parish. (A third candidate in the race, Gertrude L. Taylor, also of Shreveport, nominee of [[George Wallace]]'s former American Independent Party, received 2.7 percent of the vote.)
Fitzmorris won the runoff by a wide margin and then faced the Republican former state representative [[Morley Hudson]] of [[Shreveport]], running on the ticket headed by later Governor [[David C. Treen]]. Fitzmorris scored a knockout over Hudson and went on to serve two terms in the state's second highest office. He polled 815,794 votes (76.8 percent) to Hudson's 218,169 ballots (20.5 percent). Hudson failed to win a single parish but fared best in his home base of Caddo Parish. (A third candidate in the race, Gertrude L. Taylor, also of Shreveport, nominee of [[George Wallace]]'s former American Independent Party, received 2.7 percent of the vote.)
On November 1, 1975, Fitzmorris cruised to reelection in the first ever nonpartisan blanket primary in Louisiana. One of his minor opponents, Lance Allan 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 Allan 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.