Joe Waggonner - Defeating Charlton Lyons

Defeating Charlton Lyons

Waggonner won a special election to succeed long-time U.S. Representative Overton Brooks, who had won his thirteenth consecutive term in 1960 by defeating the Republican Fred C. McClanahan of Shreveport. When Brooks died in office, Waggonner filed in the special election to succeed him. Already, Waggonner had announced his intention to oppose Brooks for renomination in the 1962 Democratic primary. Waggonner's decision to challenge Brooks was spurred by Brooks' congressional vote to expand the House Rules Committee to permit Speaker Sam Rayburn to add new liberal members to the panel, which was dominated at the time by minority conservatives from both national parties.

In the special election, Waggonner turned back a relatively strong Republican challenge from Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., an Abbeville native and a Shreveport oilman who was attempting to plant a Republican beachhead in then overwhelmingly Democratic state. Waggonner polled 33,892 votes (54.5 percent) to Lyons' 28,250 ballots (45.5 percent). Plain Dealing banker John J. Doles, Jr. (1923–2004) served as Waggonner's campaign manager. Waggonner received majorities in six of the seven parishes in the district, having lost only in Lyons' home base, Caddo Parish, which includes Shreveport. In 1968, Waggonner easily turned back an African American primary challenger, Leon Tarver, later president of the Southern University System. Tarver's family operates a Shreveport funeral home. His brother, Gregory Tarver, would later serve on the Shreveport City Council and in the Louisiana State Senate. Over the years, Waggonner had only token opponents. He did not seek a tenth term in 1978.