US EditionLouisiana's former Sen. J. Bennett Johnston dead at 92
- J. Bennett Johnston, a 92-year-old pro-business Democrat and former U.S. Senator for 24 years, died on Tuesday in Sperryville, Virginia, outside of Washington.
- Johnston, a Shreveport native, dedicated over 30 years to elected office and steadfastly defended Louisiana's oil and gas interests, often working in a bipartisan fashion with presidents like Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush, while sometimes clashing with fellow Democrat Jimmy Carter.
- During his career, Johnston played a key role in securing congressional funding for numerous infrastructure projects throughout Louisiana, including Interstate 49, Interstate 10 widening in Jefferson Parish, the Russell B. Long Federal Building and Courthouse in Baton Rouge, two national parks, and seven wildlife refuges, as well as obtaining $150 million for wetlands protection and hundreds of millions for LSU research.
- In 1995, after serving four terms, Johnston announced his retirement from the Senate, with fellow Democrat Senator David Pryor noting, "Sen. Bennett Johnston has never seen that middle aisle as a line of demarcation nor as a line of division but merely as a line of invitation to join hands and join parties."
- Despite his achievements, Johnston faced challenges, including a narrow loss in the 1971 governor's race to Edwards by 4,488 votes and a surprisingly strong challenge from former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke in his 1990 reelection campaign amid a deep state recession, where Johnston won with 54% of the vote to Duke's 43.5%.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Louisiana's former Sen. J. Bennett Johnston dead at 92
Former Louisiana Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, a Democrat who chaired the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and who fought off a surprisingly strong challenge from David Duke in 1990, died Tuesday. He was 92. Johnston, a moderate Democrat who served from 1972 through 1997, was a strong defender of nuclear energy and a mild-mannered lawmaker prone to deal-making in a state often known for populist flamethrowers. His election to the Senat…
Former Louisiana Senator J. Bennett Johnston dead at 92
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Longtime Louisiana Senator J. Bennett Johnston has died at the age of 92. Johnston was elected to the Senate as a moderate Democrat in 1972, and he served four terms until he retired in 1997. Two finalists selected in NOLA Public Schools Superintendent search Before his time in Washington, he served as a state representative and state senator. "Bennett Johnston was a giant, in not just Louisiana politics, but national …
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