William Wheat
| William Edward Wheat, Jr., DVM | |
Louisiana State Representative
for District 73 (Tangipahoa Parish) | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Steven Pugh |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 Ponchatoula, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, USA |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Ponchatoula High School Louisiana State University |
| Occupation | Veterinarian |
William Edward Wheat, Jr. (born 1958), is a veterinarian from his native Ponchatoula in Tangipahoa Parish in southeastern Louisiana who is an incoming Republican state representative for District 73.
Wheat handily defeated another Republican in the nonpartisan blanket primary, Michael Chatellier (born 1960), a veteran of the Afghanistan War. Both candidates graduated from Ponchatoula High School two years apart. Neither have any previous political experience. Wheat received 9,332 votes (77 percent) to Chatellier's 2,732 (23 percent).[1] He succeeds the term-limited Republican Representative Steven Pugh, who was first elected in 2007. On January 13, 2020, Dr. Wheat will succeed
Wheat is a former president of the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association and chaired the Tangipahoa Mosquito Abatement District. He said in the campaign that he has no platform based on issues and narrow definitions, but instead hopes his “sense of achievement” in the community will convince voters to support him. "I’ve been a productive member of our community. I’m a person who has been able to identify the needs of our citizens, work toward resolutions of problems, and come to the table with solutions.”[2]
The more conservative Chatellier said that Louisiana seems to have "a government mentality" that "pushes businesses away," instead of encouraging companies to locate in the state.[2]
References
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019 .
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jacqueline DeRobertis (September 13, 2019). Two Tangipahoa political outsiders square off for House District 73 seat. The Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved on December 30, 2019.