Despot's Death Untimely From Political Standpoint
Within a month of Despot's death, Democratic Governor Charles E. Roemer, III switched his allegiance to the Republican Party. Roemer's switch did not unite the feuding wings of the GOP. Because he supported abortion, the right-to-life contingent of the party rejected Roemer and coalesced around Congressman Clyde C. Holloway of Rapides Parish. But few other Republicans would support Holloway, won won a preference poll among Republicans attending statewide endorsement caucuses. Also running for governor was the candidate who was anathema to party leaders: State Representative David Duke of Jefferson Parish. When all the smoke had cleared, Duke eliminated Roemer from a general election berth, and Edwin Edwards staged a fourth-term victory over the unpopular Duke.
Thereafter, the bottom fell out politically for Despot's favorite, the first President Bush. Challenged from the right by Pat Buchanan and plagued by a troubling economy, Bush failed nationally and in Louisiana as well in the 1992 elections.
Both of those developments would have been especially troubling to George J. Despot had he lived.
Despot's Republican Party papers are in the archives section of Louisiana State University at Shreveport.
| Preceded by John H. Cade, Jr., of Alexandria |
Louisiana Republican Party State Chairman
George Joseph Despot of Shreveport |
Succeeded by Donald G. Bollinger of Lockport |
Read more about this topic: George Despot
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