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Both Charlton and Hall Lyons were originally [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. In 1966, having resided for nearly six years in Lafayette, Lyons entered the first of his two political races as a candidate. He challenged the reelection of the nine-term Democratic]] [[U.S. Representative]] Edwin Edward Willis (1904-1972) of St. Martinville Louisiana's 3rd congressional district seat, now held by the Republican [[Clay Higgins]]. Willis had first defeated two fellow Democrats in the 1966 party primary, State Representative Richard Guidry of Lafourche Parish and state Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc of Vermilion Parish, who had made a fortune in the patent medicine called Hadacol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1592776/|title=Everyone gets into state politics|publisher=''Lake Charles American Press''|date=August 12, 1966|location=[[Lake Charles]], [[Louisiana]]|page=15|accessdate=September 11, 2014}}</ref>​

Both Charlton and Hall Lyons were originally [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. In 1966, having resided for nearly six years in Lafayette, Lyons entered the first of his two political races as a candidate. He challenged the reelection of the nine-term Democratic]] [[U.S. Representative]] Edwin Edward Willis (1904-1972) of St. Martinville Louisiana's 3rd congressional district seat, now held by the Republican [[Clay Higgins]]. Willis had first defeated two fellow Democrats in the 1966 party primary, State Representative Richard Guidry of Lafourche Parish and state Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc of Vermilion Parish, who had made a fortune in the patent medicine called Hadacol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1592776/|title=Everyone gets into state politics|publisher=''Lake Charles American Press''|date=August 12, 1966|location=[[Lake Charles]], [[Louisiana]]|page=15|accessdate=September 11, 2014}}</ref>​

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Lyons accused Willis of being too closely aligned with [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] and the [[Great Society]] social policy.<ref>''The Lafayette Daily Advertiser'', November 9, 1966, p. 1.</ref> Republicans also claimed that Willis's health had diminished after he sustained in February 1966 a series of strokes which required surgery.<ref>''[[Shreveport Journal]]'', November 9, 1966, p. 2</ref>  Lyons polled 31,444 votes (40.3 percent) in a district in which no Republican had been elected since [[Reconstruction]]. Despite health issues, Willis received 46,533 votes (59.7 percent). Lyons obtained a slim majority in [[Iberia Parish, Louisiana|Iberia Parish]] and finished with 46 percent in Lafayette Parish]<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Louisiana general election returns, November 8, 1966</ref>  

Lyons accused Willis of being too closely aligned with [[U.S. President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] and the [[Great Society]] social policy.<ref>''The Lafayette Daily Advertiser'', November 9, 1966, p. 1.</ref> Republicans also claimed that Willis's health had diminished after he sustained in February 1966 a series of strokes which required surgery.<ref>''[[Shreveport Journal]]'', November 9, 1966, p. 2</ref>  Lyons polled 31,444 votes (40.3 percent) in a district in which no Republican had been elected since [[Reconstruction]]. Despite health issues, Willis received 46,533 votes (59.7 percent). Lyons obtained a slim majority in Iberia Paris] and finished with 46 percent in Lafayette Parish.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Louisiana general election returns, November 8, 1966</ref>  

Willis' defeat of Lyons marked the veteran lawmaker's last victory at the polls, He was unseated in the 1968 Democratic [[primary]] election by Patrick Thomson Caffery, Sr. (1932-2013), who retained the seat for two terms before retiring to return to his law practice in New Iberia, Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=c000017|title=Caffery, Patrick Thomson (1932-2013)|publisher=bioguide.congress.gov|accessdate=August 15, 2014}}</ref> Charlton Lyons had waged a campaign in December 1961 for Louisiana's 4th congressional district seat against the incoming Democrat [[Joe Waggonnerr]] of Bossier Parish, who won the right to succeed Thomas Overton Brooks (1897-1961) of Shreveport, who had died in office three months earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1417765/|title=GOP Challenge Turned Back by Waggonner|publisher=''Lake Charles American Press''|date=December 20, 1961|accessdate=August 15, 2014}}</ref>​

Willis' defeat of Lyons marked the veteran lawmaker's last victory at the polls, He was unseated in the 1968 Democratic [[primary]] election by Patrick Thomson Caffery, Sr. (1932-2013), who retained the seat for two terms before retiring to return to his law practice in New Iberia, Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=c000017|title=Caffery, Patrick Thomson (1932-2013)|publisher=bioguide.congress.gov|accessdate=August 15, 2014}}</ref> Charlton Lyons had waged a campaign in December 1961 for Louisiana's 4th congressional district seat against the incoming Democrat [[Joe Waggonnerr]] of Bossier Parish, who won the right to succeed Thomas Overton Brooks (1897-1961) of Shreveport, who had died in office three months earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1417765/|title=GOP Challenge Turned Back by Waggonner|publisher=''Lake Charles American Press''|date=December 20, 1961|accessdate=August 15, 2014}}</ref>​