Changes

==Political life==

==Political life==

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Unusual for his time, Bagwell joined the Republican Party at a time when most whites were [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. Louisiana had been a one-party state since the late 19th century, when white Democrats regained control of the state government and approved a new state constitution in 1898 that effectively disenfranchised most blacks by raising barriers to voter registration and voting. [[African Americans]] had prior to 1964 constituted the great majority of members of the Louisiana Republican Party.  

Unusual for his time, Bagwell joined the Republican Party at a time when most whites were [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. Louisiana had been a one-party state since the late 19th century, when white Democrats regained control of the state government and approved a new state constitution in 1898 that effectively disenfranchised most blacks by raising barriers to voter registration and voting. Prior to 1964, [[African Americans]] had constituted the great majority of members of the Louisiana Republican Party.  

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During the first decades of the 20th century, some white Republicans began to try to build up the party. In 1928, [[Étienne Caire]], a [[business]]man from Edgard in St. John the Baptist Parish, polled 4 percent in the gubernatorial election in his challenge of [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RB2Hxcg4zNoC&pg=PA511&lpg=PA511&dq=James+M.+McLemore+of+Louisiana&source=bl&ots=1Yi8hxLt9i&sig=gUMWwG9IvX6ust-vytitdL_u3aA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QUBwUpyHCqrX2QWdlIGwAg&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=James%20M.%20McLemore%20of%20Louisiana&f=false|title=''Louisiana Almanac, 2008-2009''|author=[[Milburn E. Calhoun]]|page=511|publisher=Pelican Publishing Company|date=2008|accessdate=November 29, 2013}}</ref> In 1952, Bagwell ran as only the second Republican candidate for governor in the 20th century.

During the first decades of the 20th century, some white Republicans began to try to build up the party. In 1928, [[Étienne Caire]], a [[business]]man from Edgard in St. John the Baptist Parish, polled 4 percent in the gubernatorial election in his challenge of [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RB2Hxcg4zNoC&pg=PA511&lpg=PA511&dq=James+M.+McLemore+of+Louisiana&source=bl&ots=1Yi8hxLt9i&sig=gUMWwG9IvX6ust-vytitdL_u3aA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QUBwUpyHCqrX2QWdlIGwAg&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=James%20M.%20McLemore%20of%20Louisiana&f=false|title=''Louisiana Almanac, 2008-2009''|author=[[Milburn E. Calhoun]]|page=511|publisher=Pelican Publishing Company|date=2008|accessdate=November 29, 2013}}</ref> In 1952, Bagwell ran as only the second Republican candidate for governor in the 20th century.