Changes

==Legislator==

==Legislator==

Downer was first elected as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] to the state House in the first ever nonpartisan blanket primary held on November 1, 1975. He represented District 52 (Lafourche and his native Terrebonne parishes) from 1976 until January 2004. In his penultimate term, 1996 to 2000, he was Speaker during the administration of Republican Governor [Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] For his second term, Governor Foster removed Downer as Speaker and replaced him with another Democrat, [[Charles DeWitt]] of Rapides Parish. Former legislator [[Ron Gomez]] of [[Lafayette]] said that Downer "did a terrific job [as Speaker] before being unceremoniously dumped by Governor Foster after the fall 1999 elections."<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative,'' [[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]]: Zemog Publishing, 2000, p. 182.</ref>

Downer was first elected as a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] to the state House in the first ever nonpartisan blanket primary held on November 1, 1975. He represented District 52 (Lafourche and his native Terrebonne parishes) from 1976 until January 2004. In his penultimate term, 1996 to 2000, he was Speaker during the administration of Republican Governor [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] For his second term, Governor Foster removed Downer as Speaker and replaced him with another Democrat, [[Charles DeWitt]] of Rapides Parish. Former legislator [[Ron Gomez]] of [[Lafayette]] said that Downer "did a terrific job [as Speaker] before being unceremoniously dumped by Governor Foster after the fall 1999 elections."<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative,'' [[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]]: Zemog Publishing, 2000, p. 182.</ref>

In 1987, Downer, as a Democrat, was named "Legislator of the Month" by the Louisiana Municipal Association. He was named "Outstanding Young Man of the Year" in 1977 by the Jaycees. He won the American Jurisprudence Award in 1971. During much of his legislative career through December 2003, Downer was affiliated with the law firm of Waitz & Downer in Houma. He has since retired from the firm.<ref name=pvs/>

In 1987, Downer, as a Democrat, was named "Legislator of the Month" by the Louisiana Municipal Association. He was named "Outstanding Young Man of the Year" in 1977 by the Jaycees. He won the American Jurisprudence Award in 1971. During much of his legislative career through December 2003, Downer was affiliated with the law firm of Waitz & Downer in Houma. He has since retired from the firm.<ref name=pvs/>