Hewitt Leonidas Bouanchaud (August 19, 1877 – October 17, 1950) was a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

politician in the U.S. state of Louisiana. A native of Pointe Coupee Parish, Bouanchaud was elected a member of the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (french: link=no, Chambre des Représentants de Louisiane) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 repr ...

in 1904. After an absence of one term, he was elected again in 1912 and 1916. In 1916, he was named Speaker of the Louisiana House. In 1920, he was elected

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

as the running mate to gubernatorial candidate

John M. Parker John Milliken Parker, Sr. (March 16, 1863 – May 20, 1939), was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from Louisiana, who served as the state's List of Governors of Louisiana, 37th Governor from 1920 to 1924. ...

, a Democrat formerly affiliated with the Progressive Party. Among Bouanchaud's opponents was state court Judge

Philip H. Gilbert Philip Henri Gilbert (October 25, 1870 – October 18, 1932) was a lawyer and Democratic politician from Napoleonville in Assumption Parish in South Louisiana. Gilbert was the district attorney of the Louisiana 27th Judicial District from ...

of Assumption Parish, who was subsequently the interim lieutenant governor from 1926 to 1928. As the former House Speaker, Bouanchaud was chosen president of the Louisiana Constitutional Convention in 1921. The document produced by that convention remained in force until 1975 during the administration of Governor

Edwin Edwards Edwin Washington Edwards (August 7, 1927 – July 12, 2021) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the U.S. representative for from 1965 to 1972 and as the 50th governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972– ...

. In 1924, Lieutenant Governor Bouanchaud ran for governor against

Henry L. Fuqua Henry Luse Fuqua Sr. (November 8, 1865 – October 11, 1926), was an American government official and politician. A Democrat, he is most notable for his service as the 38th Governor of Louisiana from 1924 until his death in 1926. Biography Henr ...

, and

Huey Pierce Long, Jr. Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893September 10, 1935), nicknamed "the Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination ...

Bouanchaud and Fuqua received the most votes in the first Democratic

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

held on January 15, 1924, with Long of Winnfield, having been eliminated from contention that year. Long then gained the governorship four years later in 1928. Fuqua defeated Bouanchaud in the second Democratic primary held on February 19, 1924. Bouanchaud was the brother of longtime Pointe Coupee Parish

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Lamartine Bouanchaud Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...

. His great-niece, Mary Blanche Crosby Brown (1923-2013), was the wife of

J. Marshall Brown J. Marshall Brown (October 3, 1926 – August 5, 1995) was an American poltician. He served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Life and career Brown was an insurance agent. In 1952, Brown was elected to the Lou ...

, a member of the

from Orleans Parish and a leading figure in the Louisiana Democratic Party. The Bouanchauds were sons of James Alcide Bouanchaud, a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the Pointe Coupee Battery for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Alcide Bouanchaud later became a state district court judge. Hewitt Bouanchaud's nephew, Alcide "Bub" Bouanchaud, and his great-great nephew. Paul Raymond Smith, both served as sheriff in Pointe Coupee Parish. Bouanchaud was preceded as Speaker by

Lee Emmett Thomas Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...

References

Sources

* Curet, Bernard. "Ponte Coupee: Her Place in History." '' Acadiana Profile'' magazine, September 1969: 9. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouanchaud, Hewitt 1877 births 1950 deaths Lieutenant Governors of Louisiana People from Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana Speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives Huey Long