Francis C. Thompson Explained

Francis C. Thompson
State House1:Louisiana
District1:19th
Term Start1:January 2020
Preceded1:Charles "Bubba" Chaney
State Senate2:Louisiana
District2:34th
Term Start2:2008
Term End2:2020
Preceded2:Charles D. Jones
Succeeded2:Katrina Jackson
State House3:Louisiana
District3:19th
Term Start3:1975
Term End3:2008
Succeeded3:Charles "Bubba" Chaney
Birth Date:29 October 1941
Residence:Delhi, Louisiana, U.S.
Spouse:Marilyn Thompson
Children:3
Party:Republican (2023–present)
Democratic (1975–2023)
Occupation:Retired college professor
Education:Louisiana Technical University (BS, MS)
Northeast Louisiana University (MEd, EdD)[1]

Francis C. Thompson (born October 29, 1941) is an American politician from Louisiana who has represented District 19 in the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2020, as well as between 1975 and 2008. Thompson additionally represented District 24 in the Louisiana State Senate between 2008 and 2020. A Republican, Thompson switched from the Democratic Party in March 2023 after having been an elected Democrat for 48 years.[2] Thompson became the longest-serving state legislator in Louisiana history in January 2023 and is one of the longest-serving in the country.[3]

Electoral history

Born in his hometown of Delhi, Louisiana, Thompson was elected to the Richland Parish School Board in 1968.[4] In 1975, Thompson won a special election for District 19 in the Louisiana House. Voters have re-elected Thompson 11 times since then, even when Thompson was forced to run for State Senate in 2007 due to newly enacted term limits. Thompson won back his old House seat unopposed in 2019.[3]

Thompson ran in the 1996 United House of Representatives elections in Louisiana's 5th congressional district, but lost in the runoff to Republican John Cooksey.[5]

On March 17, 2023, Thompson announced he was switching to the Republican Party. Thompson's district had become significantly more Republican in recent years, and Thompson had already been voting with Republicans on several key issues.[3] Thompson stated that his switch was in response to Democratic leadership pushing issues that did "not align with those values and principles that are part of my Christian life".[2] The move gave Louisiana Republicans a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature for the first time in history.[6] 24 days later, another Democratic state representative in a Republican-heavy district, Jeremy LaCombe, followed Thompson into the Republican Party.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Louisiana House Member Page . Louisiana House of Representatives . April 26, 2023.
  2. Web site: Spencer . Chrisman . Republicans gain supermajority in La. House after longtime Democrat switches parties . WAFB . March 17, 2023 . April 26, 2023.
  3. Web site: Tyler . Bridges . He likes people, especially governors: Francis Thompson to be longest-serving legislator . The Advocate . May 21, 2022 . April 26, 2023.
  4. Web site: Francis C. Thompson . Louisiana Political Museum . February 5, 2021 . April 26, 2023.
  5. Web site: Hilburn . Greg . Former Louisiana Congressman John Cooksey dies . www.thenewsstar.com . June 5, 2022 . April 26, 2023.
  6. Web site: Republicans gain supermajority in Louisiana House . AP NEWS . March 17, 2023 . April 26, 2023.
  7. Web site: Another Louisiana House Democrat has switched parties to Republican . Sam . Karlin . The Advocate . April 10, 2023 . April 26, 2023.