Changes

In 2004, Ater joined the Department of Insurance under commissioner J. Robert Wooley, a Democrat. In March 2005, he returned to McKeithen's office as first assistant. Four months later, upon McKeithen's untimely death from an accidental fall earlier in the year, Ater was appointed as the interim secretary of state.<ref name=campaigns/>​

In 2004, Ater joined the Department of Insurance under commissioner J. Robert Wooley, a Democrat. In March 2005, he returned to McKeithen's office as first assistant. Four months later, upon McKeithen's untimely death from an accidental fall earlier in the year, Ater was appointed as the interim secretary of state.<ref name=campaigns/>​

==Effects of Hurricane Katrina==​

===Effects of Hurricane Katrina===​

As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in [[New Orleans]] held some eight months after [[Hurricane Katrina]], when the city was still struggling to recover and had many former residents living elsewhere. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr. (born 1969), of the ''Ouachita Citizen'' in West Monroe, said that Ater ​

As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in [[New Orleans]] held some eight months after [[Hurricane Katrina]], when the city was still struggling to recover and had many former residents living elsewhere. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr. (born 1969), of the ''Ouachita Citizen'' in West Monroe, said that Ater ​

<blockquote>"oversaw probably the cleanest [[mayor]]'s election in modern times in New Orleans' long, fabled history. ... He mowed down the political establishment on both sides of the aisle, which tried in vain to manipulate the election process in the Crescent City for its own selfish reasons. Yes, Ater stood out as a leader with a backbone among a host of local and state officials, who, quite frankly, have appeared spineless throughout the catastrophe caused by Katrina."<ref name=hanna>{{cite web|url=http://www.ouachitacitizen.com/news.php?id=153|title=What’s Big Al to do next?", July 20, 2006|publisher=ouachitacitizen.com|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref></blockquote>  

<blockquote>"oversaw probably the cleanest [[mayor]]'s election in modern times in New Orleans' long, fabled history. ... He mowed down the political establishment on both sides of the aisle, which tried in vain to manipulate the election process in the Crescent City for its own selfish reasons. Yes, Ater stood out as a leader with a backbone among a host of local and state officials, who, quite frankly, have appeared spineless throughout the catastrophe caused by Katrina."<ref name=hanna>{{cite web|url=http://www.ouachitacitizen.com/news.php?id=153|title=What’s Big Al to do next?", July 20, 2006|publisher=ouachitacitizen.com|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref></blockquote>  

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Ater's handling of the election was honored by the Louisiana chapter of Common Cause. Also feted was [state Senator Walter Boasso of St. Bernard Parish,  who consolidated the actions of the affected levee boards following the hurricane.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/CCLANewsletterSept2006.pdf|title=Louisiana Common Cause Advocate|publisher=commoncause.org|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref>​

Ater's handling of the election was honored by the Louisiana chapter of Common Cause. Also feted was [state Senator Walter Boasso of St. Bernard Parish,  who consolidated the actions of the affected levee boards following the hurricane.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/CCLANewsletterSept2006.pdf|title=Louisiana Common Cause Advocate|publisher=commoncause.org|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref>​

 

Ater served until November 2006, when he was succeeded by [[Moderate Republican]] John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr., the winner of the [[special election]] to fill the vacancy left by McKeithen. Ater was not a candidate in the special election.​

Ater served until November 2006, when he was succeeded by [[Moderate Republican]] John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr., the winner of the [[special election]] to fill the vacancy left by McKeithen. Ater was not a candidate in the special election.​

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