Changes

Primary campaigning centered on the "Big Four" in the race: Republican Wilson and Democrats Roemer, Leach, and Weaver, with Prestridge in a distant fifth position. Each candidate relied heavily on television to present his message, and each promised to continue the kind of constituent services provided for the previous seventeen years by Waggonner.

Primary campaigning centered on the "Big Four" in the race: Republican Wilson and Democrats Roemer, Leach, and Weaver, with Prestridge in a distant fifth position. Each candidate relied heavily on television to present his message, and each promised to continue the kind of constituent services provided for the previous seventeen years by Waggonner.

   

   

Waggonner said that he would remain neutral, but shortly before the primary he criticized Roemer's suggestion that the Red River navigation program might have to be scaled down or delayed as a means to fight excessive government spending and inflation. Political observers regarded Waggonner's criticism of Roemer as a factor in Roemer's failure to obtain a general election berth. For years, the Louisiana delegation, particularly Waggonner and Democratic U.S. Senators  [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], and [[Russell Long]], had worked to make the river navigable from Shreveport through Alexandria and south to Simmesport, on the Avoyelles and Pointe Coupee parish border.  

Representative Waggonner said that he would remain neutral, but shortly before the primary he criticized Roemer's suggestion that the Red River navigation program might have to be scaled down or delayed as a means to fight excessive government spending and inflation. Political observers regarded Waggonner's criticism of Roemer as a factor in Roemer's failure to obtain a general election berth. For years, the Louisiana delegation, particularly Waggonner and Democratic U.S. Senators  [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], and [[Russell Long]], had worked to make the river navigable from Shreveport through Alexandria and south to Simmesport, on the Avoyelles and Pointe Coupee parish border.  

Wilson had the enthusiastic support of the national and state Republican organizations. Four recognized Republican names appeared on his behalf, including former President [[Gerald Ford]], former Governor [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]], former Texas Governor and former Treasury Secretary [[John Connally|John B. Connally, Jr.]], and former Texas U.S. Representative [[George Herbert Walker Bush]], later the 41st U.S. President. He also won the backing of his state House Democratic colleague, Richard Harmon Drew, Sr. (1917-1995), of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]].

Wilson had the enthusiastic support of the national and state Republican organizations. Four recognized Republican names appeared on his behalf, including former President [[Gerald Ford]], former Governor [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]], former Texas Governor and former Treasury Secretary [[John Connally|John B. Connally, Jr.]], and former Texas U.S. Representative [[George Herbert Walker Bush]], later the 41st U.S. President. He also won the backing of his state House Democratic colleague, Richard Harmon Drew, Sr. (1917-1995), of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]].