David Thibodaux - Louisiana Republican Pioneer

Louisiana Republican Pioneer

Thibodaux was a pioneer of the GOP in southwestern Louisiana. During the 1980s, he was elected to the Republican State Central Committee. He was a delegate to the 1988 Republican National Convention, which met in New Orleans.

In 1986 at the age of thiurty-two, Thibodaux ran for the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 7th congressional district. The seat had never been held by a Republican and was a known Democratic stronghold, famously held by Edwin Edwards from 1965 to 1972, before he was elected to his first of four terms as governor of Louisiana. Edwards handpicked his protégé, John Breaux, to run as his successor. Breaux held the seat for fifteen years before being elected to the U.S. Senate for the first of three terms in which he became one of the nation's most influential legislators. A young and inexperienced Thibodaux lost to Breaux's hand-picked successor James "Jimmy" Hayes of Lafayette. Thibodaux received only 12 percent of the vote. However, Thibodaux used the campaign to build his profile and ran again in 1990 against the incumbent Hayes. He received nearly 70,000 votes, a respectable 38 percent of the vote.

In 1995, Thibodaux launched his third campaign for the seat. With a United States Senate seat open, Hayes switched to Republican affiliation in December of that year and vacated his House seat to run for the U.S. Senate in 1996. With the 7th Congressional seat open, Thibodaux saw the opportunity for a Republican to carry the 7th district for the first time.

Under the unique Louisiana primary system, Thibodaux lost a spot in the general election against Democrat Chris John by only twelve votes. On election night, Thibodaux was projected as finishing in second place, ensuring a spot in the general election, over 200 votes ahead of the third place finisher Democrat Hunter Lundy. After a week of ballot recounts, John led with 45,404 ballots (26 percent). Lundy trailed with 38,605 votes (22 percent), just 12 votes ahead of Thibodaux's 38,593 votes (also 22 percent). While Thibodaux was the endorsed Republican candidate, three other Republican candidates campaigned as well. Thibodaux's supporters felt that the presence of the three other Republicans, Jim Slatten, Peter Vidrine, and Charles "Charlie" Buckels, with a total of 25,840 votes (15 percent), undercut Thibodaux's opportunity to enter a face-to-face showdown with John in the general election and cost the Republicans a serious chance at the seat.

With only twelve votes separating Thibodaux from a spot in the runoff, the Republican Party urged Thibodaux to challenge the election results amid widespread reports of irregularities and election fraud across the state. In Louisiana's election for U.S. Senate that year, Republican Woody Jenkins contested the results of his narrow loss to Democrat Mary Landrieu claiming massive election fraud, including ballot tampering, voter fraud, and illegal busing in precincts statewide, including those in the 7th District. Jenkins brought his challenge to the US Senate, arguing for a new election in front of the Senate Rules Committee. After a 10-month investigation revealed that fraud had occurred, the committee voted 8-7 along party lines to uphold the election results. With the Republican Party putting massive financial support behind Jenkins' challenge to the Senate race, Thibodaux was unable to fund his own challenge of the House election and decided not to contest the results of the race. Chris John went on to defeat Lundy in the general election and held the seat until he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, having been defeated by the Republican David Vitter.

When John vacated the seat, Thibodaux decided to launch his fourth bid for the seat. However, when a recently retired physician, Charles Boustany, Jr., a longtime friend and supporter of Thibodaux in previous elections, decided to enter the race, the Republican hierarchy, including U.S. President George W. Bush, gave Boustany the Republican endorsement. Boustany led strongly in the primary with 39 percent of the vote. Democrat Willie Landry Mount, a former mayor of Lake Charles and a state senator, trailed with 25 percent. Thibodaux finished in a disappointing fourth place behind Democratic African American leader Donald Cravins, Sr. While Cravins refused to endorse Mount in the general election, Thibodaux publicly campaigned for Boustany, who went on to defeat Mount with 55 percent of the vote, and became the first Republican elected to represent Louisiana's 7th District. In 2008, then State Senator Donald R. Cravins, Jr., lost his bid against Boustany.

After Thibodaux's death, Boustany stated that Thibodaux's death was "a great loss for the people of Lafayette Parish, particularly for those of us who were proud to call him a friend. He will always be remembered for his passionate and relentless pursuit of improving public education for our communities in Lafayette Parish."

Roger F. Villere, Jr., chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, declared a statewide day of mourning and remembrance for Thibodaux, whom Villere described as: "a Republican pioneer in Acadiana". I ask all Louisiana citizens to join me in honoring Dr. David Thibodaux and the life he devoted to making Louisiana a better place. I ask all of you to keep David's family and friends in your prayers."