Changes

==Political campaign==

==Political campaign==

In the [[primary election]] held on October 24, 2015, Dara was the [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate for the District 29 seat in the  Louisiana State Senate. The district encompasses the African-American portions of seven parishes: Bienville, Grant, Jackson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Rapides, and Winn. Dara was defeated by a white [[Democrat Party|Democrat]], W. Jay Luneau, an attorney from [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] and a [[Baptist]] layman. Luneau polled 13,462 votes (59.3 percent) to Dara's 9,225 (40.7 percent). Luneau won six parishes; Dara prevailed only in Grant Parish, 919 votes to Luneau's 847.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10242015/10242015_Legislative.html|title=Results for Election Date: 10/24/2015|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=October 27, 2015}}</ref> The position opened when the African-American Democrat lawyer Rick Gallot of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], who also previously served in the Louisiana House of Representatives, did not seek a second term in the state Senate.

In the [[primary election]] held on October 24, 2015, Dara was the [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate for the District 29 seat in the  Louisiana State Senate. The district encompasses the African-American portions of seven parishes: Bienville, Grant, Jackson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Rapides, and Winn. Dara was defeated by a white [[Democrat Party|Democrat]], W. Jay Luneau, an attorney from [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]] and a [[Baptist]] layman. Luneau polled 13,462 votes (59.3 percent) to Dara's 9,225 (40.7 percent). Luneau won six parishes; Dara prevailed only in Grant Parish, 919 votes to Luneau's 847.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10242015/10242015_Legislative.html|title=Results for Election Date: 10/24/2015|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=October 27, 2015}}</ref> The position opened when the African-American Democrat lawyer [[Rick Gallot]] of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], who also previously served in the Louisiana House of Representatives, did not seek a second term in the state Senate.

Dara said that he had been urged by some to "run as an [[Independent voter|Independent]] or a Democrat," but concluded, "that wouldn't be true to my calling. I'm very [[conservative]], and I don't need to pretend to be something I'm not."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/08/17/cenla-minister-attorney-enter-senate-race/31881571/|title=Cenla minister, attorney enter Senate race|publisher=''[[Alexandria Town Talk]]''|date=August 18, 2015|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|accessdate=November 7, 2015}}</ref>

Dara said that he had been urged by some to "run as an [[Independent voter|Independent]] or a Democrat," but concluded, "that wouldn't be true to my calling. I'm very [[conservative]], and I don't need to pretend to be something I'm not."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/08/17/cenla-minister-attorney-enter-senate-race/31881571/|title=Cenla minister, attorney enter Senate race|publisher=''[[Alexandria Town Talk]]''|date=August 18, 2015|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|accessdate=November 7, 2015}}</ref>