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'''Otto Ernest Passman''' (June 27, 1900 – August 13, 1988) was from 1947 to 1977 a [[conservative Democrat]] [[U.S. Representative]] for [[Louisiana]]'s 5th congressional district, then anchored about [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] in the northeastern part of the state. The district now stretches as far south as the Florida Parishes east of the capital city of [[Baton Rouge]]. Passman is primarily remembered for his detailed knowledge and mostly opposition to foreign aid. <ref>Lueck, Thomas J. (August 14, 1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/14/obituaries/otto-passman-88-louisiana-congressman-who-fought-spending.html Otto Passman, 88, Louisiana Congressman Who Fought Spending]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref><ref>[https://apnews.com/article/557764ce852f51ca896fea6e16d59f21 Former Congressman Otto Passman Dies At 88]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> He was unseated in the 1976 [[primary]] election by the more moderate challenger, [[Jerry Huckaby|Thomas Jerald "Jerry" Huckaby]],<ref name=1976primary>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=378450 LA District 5 - D Primary Race - Aug 14, 1976]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> then of Ringgold in Bienville Parish but since retired in Lincoln Parish east of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]].
==Background==
===Segregationist in his time===
Like nearly all of his southern colleagues, Passman in 1956 signed the [[Southern Manifesto]] to voice objection to the [[Segregation|desegregation]] decision of the [[United States Supreme Court]], ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]''.<ref>[https://www.congress.gov/84/crecb/1956/03/12/GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3.pdf GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3.pdf].'' Congressional Record''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> Like most of his constituents, Passman supported segregation. Congress struck down racial discrimination in the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]], and by August 1970, all of the public schools in Louisiana had been desegregated, and the issue quickly waned.<ref>''Louisiana History,'' p. 339.</ref>
===Charged with sexual discrimination===
===Anger over primary defeat===
Passman faced few election challenges over the years. <ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=17734 Candidate - Otto E. Passman]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> In 1970, with 47,172 votes, he easily defeated two challengers, Monroe attorney Paul Henry Kidd, Sr. (1935–2011) and State Representative David Ivy Patten (1923–1998) of Catahoula Parish, who received 15,391 and 13,855, respectively.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=670966 LA District 5 - D Primary Race - Aug 15, 1970]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> In 1972, Patten again challenged Passman, as did State Senator Charles M. Brown (1919–1992) of Tallulah in Madison Parish. Passman prevailed that year too with 67,176 votes (60.6 percent), to Brown's 34,314 (30.9 percent) and Patten's 9,299 (8.4 percent).<ref>''Louisiana Almanac,'' 2006.</ref><ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=551177 LA District 5 - D Primary Race - Aug 19, 1972]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref>
In 1976, after thirty years in Congress, Passman faced an unexpected challenger who seemed unlikely to pose a serious problem for his renomination. Jerry Huckaby, a native of Jackson Parish and a 1959 graduate of [[Minden (Louisiana) High School|Minden High School]] in [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish, which was outside the 5th congressional district, had no previous political experience but had been a dairy farmer in Bienville Parish. As an ally of Georgia's [[Jimmy Carter]], who was running strongly in Louisiana at the time, Huckaby upset Passman in the Democratic primary,<ref name=1976primary/> largely because of charges of influence peddling that had engulfed the congressman in his last term in office but which had not yet led to indictment.<ref>''Louisiana History,'' p. 342.</ref>
[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]
[[Category:Democrats]]
[[Category:RacismSegregationists]]
[[Category:Conservative Democrats]]
[[Category:Southern Baptists]]