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A native of [[Shreveport]] and a long-time resident of [[Baton Rouge]], Long first won his Senate seat in 1948, when he defeated future governor of Louisiana, [[Robert F. Kennon]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], in the Democratic primary special election to fill the two years remaining in the term of Senator John H. Overton, who died in office. (There was an interim senator, William C. Feazel, a Long supporter.) One day shy of his thirtieth birthday, Long then handily defeated the [[Republican Party|Repubican]] nominee, [[Clem S. Clarke]], a Shreveport oilman and supporter of [[Thomas Dewey]] for president. Leander Perez, a Louisiana political boss from Plaquemines Parish and then the head of the state party central committee, attempted to assign the Democratic designation to Clarke, rather than Long, but he was forced to yield to the powerful Long forces. At the time [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]], not [[U.S. President]] [[Harry Truman]], was the official Democratic presidential nominee in Louisiana and three other former [[Confederate]] states. Had Clarke been permitted to run under the Thurmond and the Dewey banners, it was speculated that he could have defeated Long and sidelined a long political career in the making. Instead, Long ran on the Thurmond and Truman tickets. The Longs endorsed Truman in his successful election against Dewey and Thurmond.  

A native of [[Shreveport]] and a long-time resident of [[Baton Rouge]], Long first won his Senate seat in 1948, when he defeated future governor of Louisiana, [[Robert F. Kennon]] of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], in the Democratic primary special election to fill the two years remaining in the term of Senator John H. Overton, who died in office. (There was an interim senator, William C. Feazel, a Long supporter.) One day shy of his thirtieth birthday, Long then handily defeated the [[Republican Party|Repubican]] nominee, [[Clem S. Clarke]], a Shreveport oilman and supporter of [[Thomas Dewey]] for president. Leander Perez, a Louisiana political boss from Plaquemines Parish and then the head of the state party central committee, attempted to assign the Democratic designation to Clarke, rather than Long, but he was forced to yield to the powerful Long forces. At the time [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]], not [[U.S. President]] [[Harry Truman]], was the official Democratic presidential nominee in Louisiana and three other former [[Confederate]] states. Had Clarke been permitted to run under the Thurmond and the Dewey banners, it was speculated that he could have defeated Long and sidelined a long political career in the making. Instead, Long ran on the Thurmond and Truman tickets. The Longs endorsed Truman in his successful election against Dewey and Thurmond.  

==Senate==

==U.S. Senate==

In the 1962 general election, Long defeated [[Taylor W. O'Hearn|Taylor Walters O'Hearn]] of Shreveport, who two years later became one of the first two Republicans elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives since [[Reconstruction]]. In 1974, the Republicans could not recruit a candidate to oppose Long because of the likelihood of failure, explained the then party chairman [[James H. Boyce]]. In 1980, in his last Senate race, Long defeated [[Woody Jenkins]] of Baton Rouge, then a Democrat who ran again for the Senate in 1996 as a Republican against former Senator [[Mary Landrieu]]. As a youth, Jenkins had been a page for O'Hearn and Republican [[Morley Hudson]] in the Louisiana House, in which Jenkins himself served from 1972 to 2000.

In the 1962 general election, Long defeated [[Taylor W. O'Hearn|Taylor Walters O'Hearn]] of Shreveport, who two years later became one of the first two Republicans elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives since [[Reconstruction]]. In 1974, the Republicans could not recruit a candidate to oppose Long because of the likelihood of failure, explained the then party chairman [[James H. Boyce]]. In 1980, in his last Senate race, Long defeated [[Woody Jenkins]] of Baton Rouge, then a Democrat who ran again for the Senate in 1996 as a Republican against former Senator [[Mary Landrieu]]. As a youth, Jenkins had been a page for O'Hearn and Republican [[Morley Hudson]] in the Louisiana House, in which Jenkins himself served from 1972 to 2000.