James H. "Jim" Brown - State Senator, 1972-1980

State Senator, 1972-1980

At thirty-one, Brown was among the youngest persons ever elected to the Louisiana Senate. He represented the newly established 32nd District, which included the northeastern parishes of Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, Franklin, La Salle, and Tensas. The previous senator, J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert of Sicily Island in Catahoula Parish, ran successfully for the Louisiana House of Representatives that year.

After he secured the pivotal Democratic nomination in the fall of 1971, Brown defeated the Republican nominee, John Henry Baker of Franklin Parish in the general election held on February 1, 1972. Baker claimed Delhi in Richland Parish as his residence, but he lived in a rural section of northern Franklin Parish. Brown polled 17,151 votes (64.1 percent) to Baker's 9,587 (35.9 percent). Baker, however, noted that he won Brown's home precinct in Ferriday. Baker had been elected as a Democrat in 1968 to the Franklin Parish Police Jury (county commission in most states), but he switched to the GOP in 1969.

In August 1972, Brown was elected in a nonpartisan race from his senatorial district as a delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention, which met in 1973 in Baton Rouge. The convention produced the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, which replaced the previous document in use since 1921, and Brown was an active delegate in the proceedings. (Delegates were chosen from the 105 state House districts and the 39 state Senate districts.) Among his convention colleagues were veteran State Senator Sixty Rayburn of Bogalusa in Washington Parish and future Governor Buddy Roemer, then of Bossier City.

As a state senator, Brown supported openness in government. He worked to create some of the strongest laws in the nation to require open records and meetings. He also obtained legislative passage of landmark consumer protection legislation that offered Louisiana citizens greater financial privacy. He made himself available to radio and television stations and newspapers to keep his Senate activities in the public eye.

In 1978, Brown launched an unsuccessful bid for the United States House of Representatives in Louisiana's 5th congressional district. He was defeated in the primary by the freshman incumbent representative, t Democrat Jerry Huckaby. The Fifth District covers the northeastern quadrant of the state and now extends as far south as Opelousas. Perennial candidate L.D. Knox of Winnsboro also ran against Huckaby that year and in subsequent elections as well. Knox had considered challenging Brown for the state senate in 1975 but deferred when Brown promised to work for "None of the Above" as a ballot option in Louisiana. In 1979, Knox actually changed his legal name to "None of the Above" Knox to enhance his campaign to expand such voter options.